BOSTON (WHDH) - Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said 95 percent of city workers had gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by Saturday, when the city’s mandate for employees went into effect, and that officials will hold off a week before enforcing the mandate.
Wu said 17,435 city workers have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine.
“That has been a big jump of several hundred employees even in the last week,” Wu said.
City workers had previously been required to show proof of vaccine or submit to regular testing, but the mandate eliminates the testing option. Wu said officials will place workers who don’t get the vaccine on administrative leave and potentially fire them, but are delaying enforcement until Jan. 24.
“We really want this to be a policy that boosts vaccination rather than is punitive to our employees, so we’re going to keep working with every single person while proceeding along our timeline as originally planned.”
The Whittier Street Health Center will hold vaccine clinics at City Hall on Tuesdays and Thursdays to encourage people to get the vaccine.
“We also stand ready with city employees in increasing vaccination rates, going to them, meeting them where they are so we can all be in compliance,” said Whittier Street CEO Frederica Williams.
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