A federal judge has moved against schools in New York and their plans to impose a vaccine mandate. According to the Associated Press, the judge has temporarily blocked schools from requiring teachers and other school staff to be at least partially vaccinated by Sept. 27.
The term came in August directly from New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. At the time, he announced that approximately 148,000 school staff had until Monday to receive at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The policy calls on teachers and other school workers, such as cafe staff and trustees.
The order was issued on Friday night by a judge of the 2nd District Court of Appeal of the United States. A group of teachers are behind efforts to block the mandate. However, Education Department spokesman Daniel Filson said they were working for a “quick fix”.
“We are convinced that our mandate for vaccines will continue to be maintained once all the facts have been presented, because that is the level of protection that our students and staff deserve,” Filson said in an email, according to the AP.
The department, according to the New York Post, actually contacted school principals on Saturday morning. An email was sent warning the directors that the judge’s decision was not final. An excerpt from the email warns to prepare for “the possibility of the vaccine mandate coming into force later this week.”
This temporary bloc comes as the country struggles to bridge the gap between those who oppose the vaccine and those who oppose it. Mayor Bill’s mandate is, in fact, “the first mandate to vaccinate without the option of a broad group of urban workers.”
As New York boasts the most populous city in the country and the largest school system, Mayor Bill has no plans to postpone his term. He actually said in a radio interview on Friday that the city is not unprepared for the potential shortage of teachers.
“We’ve been planning all along,” said Mayor Bill. “We have a lot of replacements ready. A lot will happen between now and Monday, but beyond that, we are ready, even if, if we need thousands, we have thousands. “
The AP reported that as of Friday, “82% of department staff” had been vaccinated, including “88% of teachers.” However, school staff unions say about 10,000 teachers and staff will be affected by the compulsory vaccine mandate.
This is an evolving story.
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