Judge Places Another Hold on Vaccine Mandate for NYC Educators

The deadline for New York City public school staff to get their first dose of the COVID vaccine was supposed to be by the end of Monday, September 27th. But the mandate is on hold as the city faces a new legal challenge.

A group of educators sued the city over the vaccine requirement, saying it violates due process, and a federal judge issued a temporary injunction on Friday. This is the second hold placed on the mandate in recent weeks: A state supreme court judge also issued a restraining order following a separate challenge by unions, but lifted it last week.

Officials say they're optimistic that the mandate will go into effect soon. Until then, school employees who are not vaccinated must get tested weekly. The education department says 82 percent of school staff have received at least one COVID shot, and the percentage of vaccinated teachers is higher, at about 88 percent.