About 800 San Francisco city workers asked for medical or religious exemptions to avoid a deadline for them to get vaccinated or lose their jobs, but the city did not approve a single request, a human resources official said.
About 1,900, or 5.5% of the city's 35,000-employee workforce, have not complied with the mandate to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 1, said Mawuli Tugbenyoh, chief of policy at San Francisco’s Department of Human Resources.
Police officers, firefighters and other employees who work in high-risk settings were expected to be vaccinated by Wednesday. However, among that group 260 police, fire and sheriff's employees sought religious or medical waivers, he said.
Tugbenyoh said the requests were being reviewed “as quickly as possible,” but would not say how many have been considered and denied.
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San Francisco announced the mandate on June 23, becoming the first large city in the country to require all of its employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, unless they have a valid religious or medical exemption.
Even if waivers are accepted, unvaccinated employees could still be reassigned to another role, put on leave, asked to work from home or let go from their jobs if they continue to refuse the shot, the human resources department said.
About 120 police officers face termination because they didn't meet Wednesday's deadline, said Tom Saggau, a spokesman for the San Francisco Police Officers’ Association.
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“With over 90% of police officers vaccinated and more being vaccinated every day, the rush to fire cops makes little sense,” the union said in statement Wednesday.
Police officials are prepared to reassign officers in case of a staffing shortage caused by employees who did not meet the deadline, Mayor London Breed told reporters.
