Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Wednesday threatened to fire any city employee who refuses to take the coronavirus vaccine by December 18, saying they “should be prepared to lose their job.”

“The city’s employee vaccine mandate is critical to protecting the health and safety of our workforce and the Angelenos we serve,” Garcetti said on Wednesday.

“Employees must be vaccinated by December 18, and we are putting a rigorous testing program into place in the meantime. Let me be clear: Any employee who refuses to be vaccinated by this date should be prepared to lose their job.”

Data from Garcetti’s office reports 72.8 percent of city employees are at least partially vaccinated. In addition, 17.9 percent declined to state or did not report their status, and 9.2 percent are not vaccinated.