File Image: Los Angeles Police Headquarters located at First and Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles.
Hours ahead of a final deadline for LA city employees to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, just over 80% of the workforce was said to be fully vaccinated, city officials told the NBC4 I-Team.
As of late Friday fewer than 250 full time employees were at risk of termination for either failing to show proof of vaccination or failing to file a formal request for either a medical or religious exemption from the mandate.
Some 2,789 employees have made requests for exemptions, though the number of exemption requests is somewhat higher because some workers filed requests for both types.
The exemption requests will be evaluated in the coming weeks, and in the interim, unvaccinated employees are being required to test twice weekly and follow other safety protocols.
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Earlier this week Mayor Eric Garcetti's office reported that approximately 2,700 City workers had not yet complied with the vaccination rules, but his office clarified Friday that number included 2,508 part time employees who may not be scheduled to report to work regularly.
Some 244 full time employees, including six at the LAPD and approximately 95 at the Fire Department, had been placed on leave for failing to follow the mandate rules and could face termination.
Legal challenges to the enforcement of the mandate filed by the union that represents most LAPD officers and the union that represents firefighters were both initially denied in L.A. Superior Court.
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A third challenge, filed by the newly organized group, "Firefighters 4 Freedom," was scheduled for a hearing in downtown LA Monday.
