The New York City Police Department said members of its force who are not vaccinated against Covid-19 are required to wear masks on duty or face discipline.
"As per Mayoral Executive Order 74, members of the service who wish to remove their face coverings in the workplace must be fully vaccinated and provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination to the Medical Division," a department spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday.
The New York Post, which first reported the policy Wednesday, said the new guidance for masking was shared with the entire police force Tuesday evening in an administrative bulletin.
Members who do not have proof of vaccination on file with the medical division must wear a face covering at all times while working — indoors or outdoors — including while driving in department vehicles, the statement said.
"These members may temporarily remove their masks when engaging in reasonable activities such as consuming food, drinking beverages, adjusting the face covering due to temperature, or to correct a breathing condition," it also stated.
Supervisors in the rank of sergeant or above will be required to enforce the policies for all employees who do not have proof of vaccination on file with the medical division.
According to the policy, unvaccinated members found not wearing a face covering when required will face disciplinary action. A spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment about what discipline those in violation of the policy would face.
All members, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a face covering in elevators and when interacting with members of the public, the policy stated.
"Additionally, at all times, members of the service must wear a face covering while present in a pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade school, public transit, homeless shelter, correctional facility, nursing home, or health care setting," the statement concluded.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last month that all city employees — including firefighters, police officers and teachers — must get coronavirus vaccinations by Sept. 13 or face weekly testing as the city addresses a rise in Covid-19 cases fueled by the highly contagious delta variant.
The Sept. 13 deadline coincides with the start of public school.
The city's police department said in a July 21 statement that it had administered vaccines to about 43 percent of police officers and professional support staff. That percentage did not account for people who may have been inoculated elsewhere, the statement said.
A police spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry Wednesday about how many of its uniformed and civilian employees are vaccinated to date.
