According to Mayor Bill de Blasio, “9 out of 10 New York City municipal workers received COVID-19 vaccinations as a Monday deadline loomed under a city mandate.”
On Saturday night De Blasio tweeted that “91% of city workers had got their vaccine, which represented a jump from about 83% as of Friday night.”
According to a city commission, Starting from Monday, those who haven’t got their first dose of the vaccine will be placed on unpaid. As a result, it increases the possibility of a lack of police, fire, and EMS workers.
On Sunday morning, the vaccination rate of the police department reported a rate of 84%, while raw data says that 2 out of every 10 firefighters are still unvaccinated till Friday night. Refresh data of fire department were supposed on later Sunday.
Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro disagree with the reports that a few firehouses had been shut because of deficiencies.
Nigro said “The department has not closed any firehouses,” in his statement on Sunday. “Irresponsible bogus sick leave by some of our members is creating a danger for New Yorkers and their fellow firefighters. They need to return to work or risk the consequences of their actions.”
City authorities have considered different measures to manage a normal staffing shortage Monday.
The fire department has said, “it was prepared to close up to 20% of its fire companies and have 20% fewer ambulances in service while also changing schedules, canceling vacations, and turning to outside EMS providers to make up for expected staffing shortages.”
De Blasio said, “the sanitation department will move to 12-hour shifts, as opposed to the usual 8-hour shifts, and begin working Sundays to ensure trash doesn’t pile up.”