A federal appeals panel says New York City may require teachers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, reports AP.

The three-judge panel of the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals has lifted a temporary order issued on Friday that blocked the mandate from taking effect so a challenge could be heard from a group of teachers.

The mandate had been set to go into effect on Monday for teachers and other employees of the city's schools. The appeals panel's ruling put the mandate back in force.

Lawyers for the teachers said they will now ask the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene.

One attorney said: "With thousands of teachers not vaccinated the city may regret what it wished for. Our children will be left with no teachers and no security in schools."