Boston To Delay Enforcement Of COVID Vaccine Mandate For City Workers Until Jan. 24
BOSTON (CBS) -- City employees who have not complied with Boston's COVID vaccine mandate will not officially be disciplined until nine days after the deadline.
The deadline for city employees to provide proof that they have received at least one shot is Saturday. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement on Friday that employees will start being disciplined on January 24.
"Following Saturday's deadline, the City will conduct a thorough review and notify anyone who has not yet uploaded proof of vaccination," said Wu in a statement. "Starting on January 24th, any staff still without proof of vaccination will begin to be placed on unpaid administrative leave, pending further action."
According to Wu's office, more than 17,425 employees are in compliance with the mandate. 16,864 workers have verified that they are fully vaccinated, while 561 employees have verified they are partially vaccinated.
After Saturday, the city says it plans to review all submissions to "ensure every employee has had the opportunity to get the vaccine and submit their info."
City employees who don't comply with the vaccine mandate could lose their jobs.
Starting Saturday, Boston will being requiring proof of COVID vaccination for certain indoor spaces. Wu's B-Together initiative requires proof of vaccination for indoor dining, indoor fitness venues, and indoor entertainment, recreational, and event venues.
Patrons and workers will first need to show proof of at least one vaccine shot. On February 15, proof of a second shot will then be required.
Verification can be done by showing a vaccine card, a digital picture of a vaccine card, a picture of any official immunization record, a city-designated app, or any other COVID vaccine verification app.
