NYC Ends Vaccine Mandate for City Workers on Eve of Court Hearing on Lawsuits Challenging City’s Rejection of Religious Exemptions

NYC Ends Vaccine Mandate for City Workers on Eve of Court Hearing on Lawsuits Challenging City’s Rejection of Religious Exemptions

Beginning Feb. 10, COVID-19 vaccines will no longer be mandatory for New York City employees, according to an announcement made on the eve of today’s scheduled hearing in the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on multiple lawsuits challenging the city’s rejection of religious exemptions to the mandate.

By Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D.

New York Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced COVID-19 vaccines will no longer be mandatory for city employees, beginning Feb. 10.

The announcement came on the eve of today’s scheduled hearing in the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on multiple lawsuits — including one sponsored by Children’s Health Defense (CHD) — challenging the city’s near-blanket refusal of religious exemption requests to the mandate.

Commenting on the timing of the mayor’s news, Mary Holland, CHD president and general counsel, told The Defender:

“While we appreciate New York City’s announcement that it will drop its COVID-19 shot mandate for public employees as of Feb. 10, we are deeply concerned that the mayor’s timing in this announcement suggests that he is dropping it in anticipation of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals oral argument on Wednesday that will consider the constitutionality of the city’s religious exemption process.

“To the extent that the city may be trying to escape judicial oversight of its unlawful actions by asserting the case is now moot, I hope and trust that the 2nd Circuit will see through this ploy.

“COVID-19 is unlikely to be the last declared pandemic so nothing about what has happened is moot.”

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