NEW YORK (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor denied an emergency appeal from a group of teachers to block New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for public school teachers and other staff from going into effect.

The teachers had filed for the injunction with Sotomayor on Thursday, in an effort to keep the mandate from going into effect Friday.

Under the mandate rules, the roughly 148,000 school employees had until 5 p.m. Friday to get at least their first vaccine shot.

Those who didn’t face suspension without pay when schools open on Monday.

The city's lawyer said the judge made the right call. A lawyer for the teachers said they are disappointed.