12/2/2021- 7:42 p.m.
New York City expands school vaccination mandate
Outgoing NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio has imposed a Covid-19 vaccination mandate on the city’s private schools, affecting about 56,000 staff. The order is expected to run into resistance from Orthodox Jews.
Staff at about 930 Catholic schools, yeshivas and other privately run institutions will have to show proof of at least the first dose by Dec. 20, or risk losing their jobs. Jabs were mandated for public school employees in August.
While 77% of all New Yorkers have received at least one jab, vax rates in areas with large Jewish communities, such as Brooklyn’s Borough Park and South Williamsburg, are 51% and 59%, respectively. One Jewish outlet has already called the order a bad Hanukkah present.
The mandate is one of de Blasio’s last acts in office, as he will be replaced by fellow Democrat Eric Adams on Jan. 1. Adams has already said he would back mandatory vaccinations for students.
