City official ‘optimistic’ that vax mandate for student athletes will go

Republican Metropolis Councilman Joe Borelli hopes the town will drop its COVID-19 requirement for scholar athletes.
REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

Town could also be poised to finish its solely COVID-19 vaccination mandate for college youngsters — which has sidelined athletes and others who gained’t get jabbed, one lawmaker advised The Publish.

Town scrapped different necessities together with each day scholar well being screenings, however it’s held quick to the vaccination rule for soccer, basketball gamers and different athletes and people in “excessive threat” actions together with marching band and cheerleading.

However Metropolis Councilman Joe Borelli, a Staten Island Republican, made a case to forgo the mandate in a gathering this week with Mayor Eric Adams, Well being Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan and different officers.

“They appeared open to that change,” Borelli stated including he didn’t have a timeframe for when it is perhaps lifted.

Metropolis guidelines required solely Division of Schooling staffers to be vaccinated, not college students on the whole.

The mandate is impacting each high-level athletes — even forcing some to go away the town — and people who play after-school sports activities or take part in extracurriculars in decrease grades.

Mother and father have grown pissed off by their youngsters not with the ability to take part in after-school sports activities resulting from vaccine mandates.

AP Picture/Mary Altaffer

Ron Naclerio, a veteran basketball coach at Benjamin Cardozo Excessive College in Bayside, stated that each vaccinated and unvaccinated college students mingle in class buildings all day, even in fitness center class.

“As soon as the bell rings after faculty, the non-vaccinated child has to go away the constructing,” Naclerio stated. “COVID is sensible sufficient now to only wait till faculty’s over to come back within the constructing? It’s ridiculous.”

Naclerio stated some athletes have been contemplating non-public or parochial colleges so they might proceed to play.

Basketball coach Ron Naclerio argues vaccinated and non-vaccinated college students are protected to work together in colleges.

AP Picture/Mary Altaffer

One metropolis coach stated he had a soccer participant transfer to Texas with the intention to preserve taking part in.

“It doesn’t add up. It doesn’t make sense. You’re punishing the kid,” the coach stated of the mandate.

Talibah Hicks stated the vax requirement was one cause she determined to maneuver this summer time from Harlem to West Virginia the place her 15-year-old son, Robert Livingston, can play basketball.

Mother or father Cindy Saleh claims youngsters are being punished for not being vaccinated.

AP Picture/Jeenah Moon

“He’s loving it down right here,” Hicks stated.

Cindy Saleh stated the mandate was stopping her 10-year-old son, Yousef, from taking part in after-school sports activities at PS 76 in Lengthy Island Metropolis.

“I believe it’s ridiculous. These are youngsters who're collectively of their school rooms all day on a regular basis. But they’re penalized and never permitted to play sports activities as a result of they’re not vaccinated,” Saleh stated.

Mother and father are planning a rally towards the mandate Thursday exterior the DOE headquarters in Manhattan.

A spokesman for Adams wouldn’t touch upon the assembly with Borelli.

“We're at all times keen to take a seat down with elected officers and members of the neighborhood and listen to their considerations. We'll proceed to observe the recommendation of the well being specialists to information our response to COVID-19 and make sure the well being and security of all New Yorkers,” Fabien Levy stated.