City officials and workers are sounding the alarm over Mayor Bill de Blasio's mandate for in-person work amid the explosive spread of the Omicron variant.
Details: Covid-19 test positivity has doubled within a three-day period — a speed that New York has not reported during the pandemic, according to former City Hall aide Jay Varma. According to the most recent City Hall data, 6.5 percent of Covid-19 tests were positive, as of Dec. 13.
“Given what we are seeing right now, I think it would be wise for the City & other large employers to let non-essential employees work remotely through the end of the year,” Comptroller-elect Brad Lander tweeted Friday. “Especially as people are in & out over the holidays, the more we can reduce unnecessary contact the better.”
Firsthand accounts: Two city workers, who asked for anonymity to speak openly about the issue, told POLITICO they are concerned with the spread of Covid-19 in their offices and the lack of urgency by the city to contact trace the cases.
“There's a lot of speculation that [the city health department] is under reporting to its staff how many people have tested positive for Covid,” an agency staffer said, noting the department's internal website only reports seven workers are out sick. “But among my colleagues, we could come up with more than seven people who were currently out with Covid. We all agree today feels very much like March 2020 when we're all waiting for this unknown ball to drop, sitting at our cubicles and wondering how we're supposed to act like everything is OK when it feels like things are crashing around us.”
The city health department disputed the person's assessment.
“The Health Department is committed to transparency and keeping New Yorkers and staff members informed. The cases on the portal are self-reported by staff,” said spokesperson Michael Lanza. “This process is outlined by DCAS for all agency staff reporting across the city.”
Secondhand accounts: An Instagram account called cityworkers4nyc, which has posted in favor of a state bill to establish a permanent telework policy for municipal employees, has shared messages from staff members that discuss their fears of getting sick on the job.
“The Law Department just sent this email informing us that the percentage of people testing positive in NYC had doubled in 3 days... yet we still have to go in,” one person wrote. “I have a baby at home that is not eligible for vaccination yet. This is really scary.”
Another health department staffer told the Instagram account a colleague who sits next to them tested positive for Covid-19, and that they never received a notification from HR.
“I was told to wait for guidance for test and trace and haven't received any communication from them. and this is at the health department!!” the person wrote.
What's next: City Hall and the city health department said the calls for remote work have been among a minority of voices.
“The vaccination is the single best way to protect yourself from Covid, and every single city employee is vaccinated and masked, thanks to the strong mandate the Mayor put into place months ago,” de Blasio spokesperson Danielle Filson said in a statement. “We are in constant communication with our health leadership and any decision regarding remote work will be based on the health and science, and recommendations from our doctors.”
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By: Amanda Eisenberg
Title: New York City employees say they fear working from their offices as Covid-19 cases rise
Sourced From: www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/story/2021/12/17/city-employees-say-they-fear-working-from-their-offices-as-covid-19-cases-rise-1400706
Published Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2021 14:57:13 EST
