The city of New York will require proof of vaccination for workers and customers in restaurants, gyms and indoor entertainment venues, said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
De Blasio announced the ‘Key to NYC Pass‘what he said is a primary requirement in the US for employees and indoor goers. The policy, enacted through a mayoral executive order and a health department order, It will be released on August 16 and will be rolled out gradually, and its implementation will begin on September 13.
“Not everyone is going to agree with this, I understand that,” de Blasio said Monday at a briefing on the virus. “But for many people, this will be a life-saving act.”
De Blasio said he hoped his request would be a model for the nation. His conference was virtually joined by national health experts, including former White House COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt.
“This will be copied across the country,” Slavitt noted. “This will get in the way of this being another bad year and a year where people get their lives back.”
De Blasio’s measure is the latest step in encouraging New Yorkers to get vaccinated. The mayor requires city workers to receive COVID-19 injections or get tested weekly, while all new city employees must be vaccinated.
“It’s about vaccination,” said the mayor. “We know that clear and strong mandates help.”
As of Aug. 3, 66.2 percent of New York City residents are fully vaccinated, according to city data. Still, cases are increasing as the contagious Delta variant spreads. Delta accounts for 72 percent of the cases tested in New York City in the past four weeks.
Some of New York’s most famous dining rooms already require shots, including the Gramercy Tavern and Union Square Cafe. Broadway venues are calling for them too.
Equinox Group said Monday that members, riders and employees will need to show proof of vaccinations to enter its Equinox gyms, SoulCycle studios and corporate offices in New York City beginning in early September.
“We have seen private sector leaders lead the way here,” de Blasio said.
De Blasio focuses on the requirements for vaccines, rather than masks, to deal with the Delta. The mayor has stopped short of requiring masks indoors for vaccinated residents, saying he wants to preserve an incentive for people to receive their vaccinations. The city also offered incentives of $ 100 and 11,000 New Yorkers have joined in to collect., the mayor remarked.
New York State this year launched a digital vaccine passport called Excelsior Pass, similar to a mobile airline boarding pass, that businesses and locations can scan to verify proof of negative COVID-19 test results or proof of vaccination.
New York City, the early center of the coronavirus pandemic, is trying to balance reopening its economy with a recent surge in cases, mostly among the unvaccinated.
The city’s seven-day average of new cases has risen to 1,288 on Aug. 1, from 709 on July 19. Hospitalizations are also increasing, albeit at a much slower rate.
“Vaccines are how we reopen businesses and offices,” said Celine Grounder, an epidemiologist who advised the Biden administration, on De Blasio’s call. “Anything to encourage people to get vaccinated and come back to life as New Yorkers.”
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