By Katya Schwenk | Phoenix New Times
Flip a coin: That’s the chance any city worker in Phoenix has gotten the COVID-19 vaccine, despite the looming threat of a mandate across the workforce of 14,000 people.
It’s lower than the statewide average of 63 percent of residents and lags behind the national average of 71 percent of those who have gotten at least one dose.
City leaders were poised to adopt a vaccine requirement on Tuesday, despite fervent opposition — including hundreds of protesters who ripped up vaccination cards on the steps of city hall.
But a court ruling in Georgia on Tuesday put the brakes on the Biden Administration’s vaccine rules for federal contractors.
So thousands of workers who are not yet vaccinated have a reprieve, as the city has temporarily reversed its decision to pause the mandate, which had been slated to take effect next month. Those who still refused could be disciplined. or even fired, from their job.
The city’s mandate now hinges on whether Biden’s executive order survives in court. For now, there’s fear that the vaccination rates among workers won’t improve.
Phoenix would have been the first among cities in the Valley to approve a vaccine mandate. City attorneys argued that the city was forced to adopt the policy after Biden issued an executive order requiring all businesses and government contractors to choose: test workers regularly at great expense or require vaccines. Phoenix is bound to rules of any other federal government contractor, attorneys claimed. Workers had until January 18 to get the jab or risk their job.
