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New York City can't penalize its employees for being unvaccinated, a state court says. In a decision published yesterday, Judge Ralph J. Porzio held that city employees who were fired for not being vaccinated against COVID-19 must be reinstated and receive back pay.
"Being vaccinated does not prevent an individual from contracting or transmitting Covid-19," wrote Porzio in his decision, noting that "as of the day of this Decision, CDC guidelines regarding quarantine and isolation are the same for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals." The fired employees "should not have been terminated for choosing not to protect themselves," he wrote.