The Office of Court Administration confirmed Friday that 156 court employees statewide were notified that if they do not submit proof of having received the COVID-19 vaccine before the end of April 4, they will be fired.

Of the 156 court employees who received the notice, approximately half work in New York City courts, according to the OCA.

The OCA says that, in addition to the 156 court employee vaccine holdouts, four judges, two of whom are located in the city, have also refused to submit proof they have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Judges, however, cannot be fired by the OCA.

As it stands today, the 156 court employees are barred from entering any court facility, and their absences are being charged to any accruals that they may have.

"These employees have been given adequate time to either comply or submit an accepted medical or religious exemption,"OCA spokesperson Lucian Chalfen said in a statement.

The four judges are barred from entering any court facility and must work from home. The judges with criminal jurisdictions are not allowed to conduct arraignments.

The OCA says the judges will be referred to the Commission on Judicial Conduct for their determination.

The head of the New York Court Officers Association, Dennis Quirk, said, “Our employees are being punished,” and added that, while he supports the vaccine personally, no one should be forced to receive it.

According to the OCA, there are about 16,000 court employees statewide.​