Kate Anderson on February 6, 2023

NEW YORK, NY – The mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, announced Monday that the city will remove its COVID-19 vaccine mandate by the end of the month.

In October 2021, Mayor Bill DeBlasio announced NYC’s vaccine mandate and offered $500 to any employee who obtained their first dose within one week following the implementation of the mandate. According to the press release released on Monday, Adams announced that the city would remove its vaccine mandate, saying it was the “right time for this decision,” but encouraged anyone who had not been vaccinated to get vaccinated.

“With more than 96 percent of city workers and more than 80 percent of New Yorkers having received their primary COVID-19 series and more tools readily available to keep us healthy, this is the right moment for this decision,” Adams said in the announcement. “I continue to urge every New Yorker to get vaccinated, get boosted, and take the necessary steps to protect themselves and those around them from COVID-19.”


The mandate will end on Feb. 10, making the vaccine optional for NYC workers and state Department of Education employees, according to the announcement. The mandate will also be removed for daycare and “early child care” staff.

The hundreds of employees who lost their jobs after the mandate was put in place for refusing to get the vaccine, however, will not be reinstated to their positions, according to the press release.

“At this point, the city has fully processed and issued decisions for all pending reasonable accommodation appeals,” the announcement read. “While the approximately 1,780 former employees terminated for failing to submit proof of vaccination will not be able to automatically return to their previous positions, they will be able to apply for positions with their former agencies through existing city rules and regulations and hiring processes.”

Adams did not immediately respond the to Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

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