File – Two New York City Police officers patrol a busy intersection on Main Street in Flushing, a largely Asian American neighborhood, Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in the Queens borough, N.Y. More than 26,000 of New York City’s municipal workers remained unvaccinated after the deadline on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021, to show proof they’ve gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)
New York City is experiencing a major staffing crisis as thousands of workers, including first responders, are on put on unpaid leave due to the city’s vaccine mandate. The mayor’s office confirmed, 9,000 city employees were placed on leave without pay Monday.
According to city data, however, more than 22,000 municipal workers remain unvaccinated. Those employees have not been placed on unpaid leave yet as they wait for exemption requests to be reviewed.
This comes as Democrat Mayor Bill De Blasio tried to downplay the crisis and even accused first responders of lying. Meanwhile, police precincts are short-staffed and fire companies have been temporarily shut down. This is prompting major concerns over public safety.
.@FDNY Ladder 149 in Dyker Heights #Brooklyn was closed today due to Mayor de Blasio’s overreaching vaccine mandate. If he doesn’t reverse course, the city will lose first responders and put New Yorkers in more danger. pic.twitter.com/jVo1WUVkgM
— Nicole Malliotakis (@NMalliotakis) October 30, 2021
The New York Fire Department admitted Monday that 18 units were down, but De Blasio has continued to falsely claim there have been no disruptions.
Source: One America News Network
