COVID Rules Backlash Lingers As NYC Schools, Workers Return

NEW YORK CITY — Resistance remains to an ambitious set of rules aimed to help New York City's reopen from the coronavirus pandemic.

Mayor Bill de Blasio dubbed Monday "recovery day" for the city as it marks the first day of all in-person learning at public schools since the pandemic, enforcement on an indoor proof of vaccination mandate and city workers' return to offices.

But the trio of milestones came with requirements that many New Yorkers believe go too far — or not far enough.

"In protest, I have decided to keep my children out of school today," tweeted Tom Sheppard, a school board member, on Monday.

Sheppard and groups such as Parents for Responsive Equitable Safe Schools believe the city should, among other safety steps, keep a remote option for students.

They're concerned that de Blasio's and school officials' much-ballyhooed "gold standard" of coronavirus safety falls short, especially since many students remain ineligible for the coronavirus vaccine.

Not only that, many teachers remain resistant to getting the vaccine. The true percentage of vaccinated teachers remains unclear — city officials claim 74 percent, while union leaders say 80 percent — but it's clear many remain to be vaccinated before a Sept. 27 deadline.

An arbitrator recently ruled that teachers with suppressed immune systems or valid medical and religious exemptions must be offered outside-the-classroom work.

"After our demand for independent arbitration, the city backed off its initial position that all unvaccinated personnel be removed from payroll, and will offer out-of-classroom work for those with certified medical or other conditions," Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, said in a statement.

“The city has also agreed – based on the arbitrator’s determination – to create both a leave process and a severance agreement for other teachers who feel that they cannot comply with the vaccination mandate," he said.

A lawsuit remains open over whether the city has the authority to hand down the mandate.

Those concerned teachers and parents aren't the only New Yorkers unhappy with the city's reopening plans.

Henry Garrido, executive director of the District 37 union, penned an op-ed last week that called to delay the return of 80,000 non-essential city workers.

"There is too much work left to be done," he wrote in the New York Daily News. "Office conditions at city agencies have not been thoroughly checked to ensure they are safe by today’s new standards. This is a basic safety requirement for workers, many of whom have worked tirelessly from their homes and now being thrown into a situation that puts them at risk — and potentially fuels another wave of the virus."

De Blasio responded to those concerns Monday by stressing that increased vaccination will boost safety.

"We're getting more and more people vaccinated each day, including our workforce," he said. "And the fact that the clear mandate is in place as of today for our workforce across the board, get vaccinated or been tested weekly, a lot of people are going to choose to get vaccinated or provide proof of vaccination that we didn't have previously.

"I think it is time. We have all the facts behind us. It's time. The people need their public servants back at work fully. We need to maximize vaccination, the best way to do that is with people in-person."