NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- As the deadline for municipal city workers to get at least their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine has officially passed, the NYPD and FDNY announced sizable increases in their vaccination rate, while the FDNY is reportedly already having staffing issues.
The NYPD’s latest vaccination rate is now 84%, the department tweeted Friday evening.
“Today alone, nearly 1,000 additional members of the NYPD received first dose vaccines, and that’s just counting those distributed at department facilities,” the NYPD said.
That’s a 4% increase from where the department was Friday morning, according to Commissioner Dermot Shea.
The FDNY announced just after 9 p.m. that its vaccination rate was now up to 77% -- 72% of firefighters, 84% for EMTs and paramedics and 90% of civilian employees.
Police officers, firefighters, garbage collectors and most other city workers faced a 5 p.m. Friday deadline to show proof they’ve gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Workers who don’t comply will be put on unpaid leave starting Monday.
According to Mayor Bill de Blasio, the Department of Sanitation also had its vaccination numbers jump 9% in just one day, and now sit at 76%.
Large groups of NYPD members have skirted the deadline by applying for a religious or medical exemption. That’ll buy them time to still come into work, albeit while having to get tested, for now.
Shea said on WINS Friday that he thinks his department will be in "good shape for Monday morning” and that the numbers will continue to rise this weekend.
The numbers are a steep jump from a vaccination rate around the 40s back in July for the NYPD.
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This week, the New York City Police Benevolent Association’s attempts to block a municipal mandate were denied — leading President Patrick Lynch to say the mandate has "created chaos in the NYPD."
Meanwhile, the FDNY’s vaccination rate had hovered just above 70% as of Friday morning before jumping past the mid-70s Friday night.
Sick calls within the fire department have already reportedly caused problems, with at least 10 fire companies temporarily shut down in the city, ABC7 reported.
Union officials denied that it was a sickout, with Uniformed Firefighters Association’s Andrew Ansbro telling ABC7, "I have had members that have received the vaccination say they are having flu like symptoms and they've had to go sick.”
FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro in a statement called the “excessive” sick leave “because of their anger at the vaccine mandate for all city employees is unacceptable, contrary to their oaths to serve, and may endanger the lives of New Yorkers.”
Outside of Ladder Company 24, Uniformed Fire Officers Association President Jim McCarthy said they haven’t heard back from de Blasio in order to continue to “negotiate” the parameters of the mandate.
Multiple members of the department’s Ladder 113 were suspended Friday after telling staff of state Sen. Zellnor Myrie they had “blood on their hands” because of the mandate, despite the fact they have has no say in the order.
A fire union also took to outside Gracie Mansion Thursday to protest the mandate.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.