NEW YORK, United States | New York City will require all its officials to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or take a weekly drug test, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday.
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The measure, which takes effect on September 13, will apply to more than 300,000 people, including police, firefighters and teachers in the first city in the United States, where the Delta variant is worryingly spread.
“The goal is our recovery. The objective is to protect people, ”explained Mr. de Blasio in a press conference.
Last week, the mayor had already warned that the thousands of employees of New York public hospitals should soon either be vaccinated against Covid or be tested every week.
In New York City, 59% of people of all ages have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, but the pace of vaccination is slowing. Nationally, only 57% of all Americans have received at least one dose, and 49% are fully immunized.
Vaccines remain extremely effective in preventing hospitalization and preventing death, and infections among immunized people remain rare. The Delta variant accounts for more than 89% of contaminations in the United States.
On Monday, 57 groups representing millions of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health professionals called for compulsory vaccination for health workers.
“The health and safety of American workers, families, residents, and the nation depends on it,” their statement said.
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