To date, over 1,000 Newarkers have died as a result of COVID-19. Vaccinations have greatly reduced new cases, hospitalizations and deaths, but beating this pandemic is a team effort. That’s why we support Mayor Baraka’s vaccine mandate for city employees.

America’s strong individualist tendencies, politicization and pervasive misinformation have encouraged hesitancy and opposition to vaccine mandates among members of our public safety workers, but the fact remains COVID-19 has proven to be a much graver threat to the lives of police officers than our most dangerous streets. In Newark, the last five deaths of law enforcement officers has been due to COVID-19. If “Blue Lives Matter” was ever intended to be anything more than an argumentative counter-slogan, it must advocate for the protection of police officers via vaccination. Remember, vaccines aren’t just about protecting yourself, they are one of the best tools we have for ensuring the safety of the public as well.

The Board of Editors
The Newarker

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