Res 0106-2022

Whereas, On October 20, 2021, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination mandate for all City employees, supported by an Order of the Commissioner of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to detail and formalize the requirement; and Whereas, The Order required that all City employees provide proof to the agency or office for which they worked that they had either been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or that they were vaccinated with the first dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccination; and Whereas, Failure by some City employees to comply with this Order resulted in those employees being placed on unpaid leave until they provided proof of vaccination to their supervisor; and Whereas, On February 11, 2022, the City terminated a total of about 1,430 City employees, of which a large number were employees of the City's Department of Education, due to non-compliance with the COVID-19 vaccination Order; and Whereas, In addition to the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for City employees, in August 2021, then-Mayor de Blasio signed Emergency Executive Order 225 (entitled "Key to NYC"), which required workers and patrons 12 years of age or older of indoor entertainment, recreation, dining and fitness centers in New York City to present proof of at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination, placing the responsibility for implementation on private businesses that fall under the pre-described categories; and Whereas, On December 6, 2021, then-Mayor de Blasio announced a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for private-sector workers that applied to roughly 184,000 businesses in New York City, which would take effect on December 27, 2021, and was formalized by an Order of the Commissioner of DOHMH; and Whereas, As of March 7, 2022, New York City has discontinued the "Key to NYC" vaccination mandate, and as of March 24, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams signed Executive Order 62 which states that it exempts New York City-based professional athletes and performers from the private-sector vaccination mandate; and Whereas, Although certain exemptions have been made, thousands of private-sector businesses and employees, and City employees are still subject to the COVID-19 vaccination Orders that remain in effect, and many workers in both the private and public sector have lost their jobs due to non-compliance with such mandates; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the Mayor of New York City and all private employers in New York City to re-hire all employees fired due to non-compliance with COVID-19 vaccination mandates. KK LS 7964 4/7/22