Impose MTA COVID Vaccine Mandate, De Blasio Presses Hochul

New York City NY

23 November, 2021

11:57 AM

Description

NEW YORK CITY — MTA workers could face a strict coronavirus vaccine mandate — assuming Gov. Kathy Hochul heeds Mayor Bill de Blasio's call to impose such a measure. De Blasio on Tuesday pressed Hochul to follow the model of New York City's vaccination-or-no-pay rule for municipal workers and apply it to MTA's workforce. Doing so would increase vaccinations with a major set of public workers who have served the city and state during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. "It's worked with the New York City workforce, it can work with the MTA as well," he said. "Here are folks right here in the same city serving the same New Yorkers," he said. "How about we use the same strategy — everyone required to be vaccinated — and that helps move us forward." MTA's NYC Transit vaccination rate stands at 68.2 percent, according to agency data. The MTA as a whole is 69.8 percent vaccinated. But while de Blasio said he publicly urged for a mandate with "respect and collegiality" toward Hochul, it should be noted the pair soon could face off in the 2022 governor's race. De Blasio has increasingly been less coy about his ambitions to run for governor, despite recent polling showing Hochul far ahead and Hizzoner dead last in a field of potential candidates. Political entanglements aside, de Blasio has been far ahead of other political leaders on pressing for strict coronavirus mandates. The city's workforce is now 94 percent vaccinated against COVID-19, with many previously hesitant agencies reporting double-digit jumps in inoculation rates. FDNY firefighters, for example, are now 88 percent vaccinated — a level that's 31 percent higher than when the mayor announced the mandate, de Blasio said.