Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on July 21, 2021, that all New York City employees, including teachers and other DOE employees, will be required by Sept. 13 to either be vaccinated or participate in weekly COVID-19 testing and be fully masked in the workplace.  

The UFT issued the following statement in response: 

"Vaccination and testing have helped keep schools among the safest places in the city. This approach puts the emphasis on vaccination but still allows for personal choice and provides additional safeguards through regular testing. There are still many things to do before we are prepared to safely open our schools in September. "