Outgoing Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said unvaccinated city workers could face termination if they ignore the mandate’s Dec. 22 deadline.

“The science is clear that getting the vaccine protects us from the severity of COVID and its variants that are once again filling our hospitals,” Peduto said Monday, noting that employees interact daily with “critical” populations. “It is our responsibility to act collectively to protect both our employees and the public so that we can move on and continue our recovery from the pandemic.”