COVID-19 vaccine mandate begins for private, religious schools in NYC

Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant, New York City imposed a new vaccine mandate on Monday for teachers and staffers who work with children in religious and non-government schools.

The mandate, ordered about two weeks ago, affects about 56,000 employees at 930 yeshivas, Catholic schools and other private institutions in New York City. Under the new requirement, teachers and staffers must receive their first dose by Monday.

The order means that schools will have to show city health officials that their workers are in compliance by Dec. 28. They can be fined for noncompliance.

City officials, including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, have said the new mandate is necessary. The Omicron variant is quickly becoming the dominant strain in the United States and around the world.

People wait in line to be tested for COVID-19 in Times Square in New York City on Sunday. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

"Vaccination is the way out of this pandemic, and these are bold, first-in-the-nation measures to encourage New Yorkers to keep themselves and their communities safe," de Blasio said early this month.

Also beginning Monday, children between 5 and 11 years old must be vaccinated to participate in high-risk extracurricular activities like sports and dance.

"We expect these next weeks to see a very, very big surge in the number of cases, more than we've seen previously. And then we expect after a period of time that it will dissipate," de Blasio said Sunday, according to WCBS-TV.

Mayor-elect Eric Adams has said that it may become necessary, at some point, to create a mandate for booster shots for city workers.