Hudson Valley Residents React to New York City Vaccine Mandate
Over 100 New York City residents marched the Brooklyn Bridge on Monday to protest the municipal worker vaccination mandate. The mandate states that all New York City municipal workers must be vaccinated by Friday or they could potentially be fired. Last week, nearly 4,000 workers received a notice that they would lose their jobs if they did not get their vaccine dose by Friday. Those with religious exemptions are allowed to keep their positions.
The protesters were made up of individuals who are both unvaccinated and vaccinated. Hundreds walked the Brooklyn Bridge chanting, “My body, my choice. The vaccine you will not force.”
While this is a situation currently surfacing in New York City, the issue of a municipal vaccine mandate has been on the minds of many in New York State, especially in Dutchess County.
A longtime Poughkeepsie resident, who wished to stay anonymous, believes that if a vaccine mandate for municipal workers is taking action in New York City, then it will not be long until it becomes a mandate across the state of New York. “There is still so much second guessing and uncertainty about this specific vaccine in order to make it a mandate. Unless it’s 100% guaranteed that this specific vaccine is completely safe for everyone, it shouldn’t be a mandate.”
Mayor Eric Adams focused on the idea of keeping New York City safe by enforcing this vaccine mandate, which he stated in a speech at City Hall last week. “Safety is not only to stop the bullet, a knife or some other item. Safety is COVID…there must be rules, and we must follow them. The rule is to get vaccinated if you are a city employee.”
When thinking about this mandate potentially affecting the region, another Poughkeepsie resident was not a fan of the idea. “I don’t think it’s [the vaccine mandate] is fair. I hope they would not do that in the Hudson Valley.”
The 4,000 working individuals who are facing termination on Friday are those who have been on unpaid leave since Nov. 1 without accepting city-provided health benefits and those who have been hired after Aug. 2 without providing any proof of a second vaccination, according to New York Daily News.
Along with the 100 New York City protesters and those who are refusing to get the vaccine, Hudson Valley residents find the vaccine mandate a violation of the freedom of personal choice.
The 4,000 New York City unvaccinated municipal workers have until Friday to show proof of vaccination before they are terminated.
