Outgoing New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, better known as a power-tripping tyrant and groundhog murderer, announced a new Wuhan coronavirus vaccine mandate on Wednesday.
The order will apply to all city employees — including police and fire department employees — in America's most populous city who must receive at least their first vaccine dose by 5:00 p.m. on October 29. The only exception to that deadline are New York City's uniformed corrections officers for whom a mandate kicks in on December 1.
NEWS: Bill de Blasio has announced a vaccine mandate for New York City municipal workers.
— Michael Gold (@migold) October 20, 2021
All employees - except for uniformed correction officers - must have at least one dose of a vaccine by 5 p.m. on October 29th. pic.twitter.com/46KVWTC0d3
Mayor de Blasio's mandate does not provide an option for regular testing to those who choose not to get vaccinated and those who do not comply with the mandate by November 1 will find themselves on unpaid leave until they give proof of vaccination.
Mayor Bill talked up his new mandate on "Morning Joe," saying "It’s a mandate now for all city agencies, all city workers. It’s time for everyone to get vaccinated" because "we need to reassure all New Yorkers that, if you’re working with a public employee, they’re vaccinated, everyone is going to be safe.”
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) announces vaccine mandate for all municipal workers, which includes police officers, firefighters and EMTs:
— The Recount (@therecount) October 20, 2021
“We’ve got to end the COVID era.” pic.twitter.com/i35cxQvIMs
Except de Blasio should know better from other city-wide vaccine mandates that actions like those create the unintended consequence of jeopardizing public safety by reducing the manpower of already short-staffed public safety departments.
In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot accused her city's police union of trying to "induce an insurrection" by resisting her vaccine mandate and said officers who fail to comply are betraying their oath to the U.S. Constitution. The Windy City may sideline one third of its police force thanks to Lightfoot. And in Seattle, scores of police officers and firefighters turned in their boots at city hall after being sidelined for noncompliance with that city's vaccine mandate.
Either de Blasio hasn't been paying attention to mayhem in other cities that have enforced vaccine mandates on city workers or, as is more likely, he just doesn't care. It's not as if de Blasio has done anything but make New York City less safe during his time at City Hall.
The New York Police Benevolent Association (PBA) responded to de Blasio's mandate saying his vaccine rollout was "haphazard" and that the PBA "fought to make the vaccine available to every member who chooses it, while also protecting their right to make that personal medical decision in consultation with their own doctor."
PBA STATEMENT ON VACCINE MANDATE pic.twitter.com/sXtb3vHYpi
— NYC PBA (@NYCPBA) October 20, 2021
The PBA warned "now that the city has moved to unilaterally impose a mandate, we will proceed with legal action to protect our members' rights."
Currently, NYPD and FDNY are vaccinated at 69 percent and 59 percent, respectively, according to recent reports, meaning New York could soon find itself without a third of its police personnel and 40 percent of its fire department.
CONT- Vaccine mandate applies to @NYPDnews and @FDNY. Both agencies have below average vaccination rates:
— Kayla Mamelak Altus (@KaylaMamelak) October 20, 2021
NYC Municipal Workforce: 83%
NYPD: 69%
FDNY: 59%
TRANSLATION: a lot of NYC cops and firefighters could be placed on unpaid leave next week
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