BOSTON (WHDH) - More than 800 City of Boston employees are off the job after failing to comply with a staff vaccination mandate.
On Oct. 6, the Boston mayor’s office says they notified 1,400 city employees that they were not in compliance with the vaccination or regular testing verification requirement.
That number dropped to 812 city employees as of Tuesday and those employees were placed on unpaid leave, the mayor’s office added.
In August, the City of Boston implemented a phased-in approach to get city employees vaccinated or have them tested weekly for COVID-19.
This impacted 18,000 city workers ranging from onsite contractors to volunteers who provide services at city worksites.
The mandate also affected school employees, including bus drivers.
Boston school officials say they do not have enough bus drivers and the vaccination mandate is playing a role in the shortage.
Mayor Kim Janey has said that they’re working to have vaccine clinics at bus yards to help relieve the issue.
“We are now implementing contingency plans for bus transportation and other school operations impacted by employee leaves of absence, due to unverified vaccination or testing,” a city spokesperson wrote in a statement. “We continue to work closely with our diverse workforce, and our union partners, to ensure employees have access to vaccination, testing, and verification systems to comply with the mandate.”
Several communities across the state have called in the National Guard to help drive students to school. Boston city officials have not said if they will implement that option.
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