Eric Adams, New York City’s Mayor, stated Monday in a statement that the Big Apple will no longer mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for public employees. However, Adams also indicated that nearly 2,000 people who refused the vaccine will not be able to get their jobs back. Instead, they will need to reapply.
This kind of cruel and capricious response is what has made many Americans distrustful of COVID policies at the local level.
Adams tweeted the following:
With more than 96 percent of city workers and more than 80 percent of New Yorkers having received their primary #COVID19 series and more tools readily available to keep us healthy, the #COVID19 Vaccination Will Become Optional for City Workers.
Read more: https://t.co/OSuNs7Deku
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) February 6, 2023
In his statement, the mayor stated:
This is the best time to make this decision.
The “right time” was many years ago. The requirement to inject yourself with Pfizer BioNTech MRNA shots (which are still under emergency use authorization, if you believe that) shouldn’t have been required in the first instance. Adams continued:
I urge all New Yorkers to continue to be vaccinated and boosted to ensure their protection from COVID-19.
Adams had lost all credibility with this one sentence. Who would ever urge every New Yorker that they get a vaccine or booster that is potentially ineffective and dangerous? The people who still believe that vaccines are the cure-all for all ailments are delusional.
@NYCMayor not good enough people were fired, forced from their careers, homes, discriminated against or forced to put something in their body they did not want & some of them were harmed. #TheFinestUnfiltered https://t.co/pdapbABfYP
— John D. Macari Jr. 🇺🇸🗽 (@JohnDMacari) February 6, 2023
What about the 1,780 city workers, who were fired after refusing to take the shot? They won’t be able to get their previous positions back and will need to reapply. Will they be paid the same salary if they are rehired? What rank or seniority will they keep? At this moment, it’s unclear.
The NY Post has an article about how the mandate affected a New York firefighter.
Jairo Sosa (37), who was a firefighter for 7 1/2 years before he was “forced to resign,” stated that he would love his job back. He is married to Jairo Sosa and has three children, ages 7, and 3, who are all under the age of seven months.
It’s a rewarding job. I enjoy serving my community. Sosa stated that she was in Washington Heights, the same area where she grew up.
After saving a 5-year-old girl, he was awarded a medal.
Sosa stated, “You get a gold medal in one year and then you are terminated the next year.”
This is just one story. There are at least 1,779 more.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams had ended the vaccine mandate for city workers
Hundreds of people were stripped of their livelihood for refusing this mandate over the last two years and they will NOT be reinstated
Absolutely disgusting
— Clayton Keirns (@CKeirns) February 6, 2023
There was so much to be said about the COVID policies at the national, state, and local levels. It was also outrageously dictatorial. And firing thousands of people in the most difficult times of their lives was completely wrong.
Eric Adams, admit your mistakes and help these people get their jobs, back pay, and seniority back.
