Judge freezes deadline for Chicago cops to get vaccinated

CHICAGO (AP) — A judge has suspended a Dec. 31 deadline for Chicago police officers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. But he didn’t interfere with a requirement that officers be regularly tested. Police unions had sought a restraining order against the city of Chicago. Judge Raymond Mitchell says the dispute over getting vaccinations should be handled by an arbitrator as a labor grievance. Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration announced the vaccine policy weeks ago, drawing sharp objections from police union leaders. The judge noted that COVID-19 has killed many officers nationwide. Mitchell says having a grievance heard seems like a “pretty modest task.”