COVID vaccine mandate takes effect for NYC teachers, staff

NEW YORK (AP) - A COVID-19 vaccine requirement for teachers and other staff members took effect Monday in New York City's million-plus-student public school system, in a key test of the employee vaccination mandates being rolled out across the country.

The city had planned to bring in substitutes where needed, with Mayor Bill de Blasio warning that unvaccinated school employees would be placed on unpaid leave. But 95% of the city's roughly 148,000 public school staffers had received at least one vaccine dose as of Monday morning, including 96% of teachers and 99% of principals, de Blasio said.

"Our parents need to know their kids will be safe," the mayor said. "They entrust us with their children. That's what this mandate is all about. Every adult in our schools is now vaccinated, and that's going to be the rule going forward."

https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-new-york-education-new-york-city-bc516b3c5012bd31e8f9a83cb06de18f