Vax on track

Dec. 1 brought the final New York City agency made to comply with Mayor de Blasio’s live-saving mandatory COVID vaccine requirement, the Correction Department. De Blasio’s now-universal imposition of this infection-preventing rule on city employees is one of the best things he’s done as mayor, having produced a 94% vaccination rate for a workforce of nearly 400,000. It’s part of the reason that (fingers crossed) the city has such a low level of disease.

Across the board, from hospitals (95%) to schools (96%) to fire (92%), as well as EMS (94%), cops (87%) and Sanitation (89%), everyone is getting safer and keeping their paycheck. Remember, that “No jab, no job” also means “get your jab, keep your job, as well as protect your health and pocket $100.” Last to the party, Correction is at 77% among uniformed officers and 93% among civilians. It worked. It worked. It worked. Bravo, Mr. Mayor.

While the city has gotten its house in order, there remain many government employees in direct contact with the public who are part of the city’s pension system but work for the Transit Authority, under the state’s MTA.

We said that Gov. Hochul should order a 100% vax rule. De Blasio then echoed us, and Hochul belittled the idea, quipping “I appreciate the advice,” while touting the far less effective vax or weekly test option. It turns out that is not such a great idea, as Daily News transit reporter Clayton Guse found a $100 million budget line deep in the MTA’s ledgers for those tests. Even if the feds will reimburse the cost, it’s a waste of money.

MTA vax rates hovering about 70% are too low, and 173 workers are already dead. That grim toll cannot be allowed to rise. Politically, there’s no downside as the Transport Workers Union has already backed Tish James over Hochul. While we don’t want to exacerbate shortages of train crews, saving lives is paramount.

Gov, it’s time to follow the advice and save money and lives.