USA, Vaccination | New York introduces vaccine passports for private sector employers

On Monday, the mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, announced that the state will introduce vaccine certificate for employers in the private sector. The new mandate will take effect from Monday 27 December and will affect 184,000 jobs, writes CNBC.

The mandate is introduced to slow down the further spread of covid-19, at a time when it is starting to get colder and more people are gathering in connection with the holidays.

Also read: The United States tightens the test requirement upon entry on Monday morning

People aged 12 and over have already been required to show proof of vaccination to participate in indoor restaurant serving, exercise and entertainment. Now children aged 5-11 must also show the corresponding vaccination certificate.

The measure is also introduced as an attempt to maximize vaccination quickly, and get ahead of the new virus variant.

Optimistic

To obtain a valid vaccine certificate, two doses must be set. 70 percent of New York City residents are already fully vaccinated, and nearly 77 percent are partially vaccinated.

Also read: What Biden is doing now is the same thing he ragged Trump for

On twitter, the mayor has also expressed strong optimism related to the certificate scheme:

“NYC is a global leader in # COVID19 recovery. We have proven that with vaccine mandates and incentives we can beat this virus,” de Blasio wrote on Twitter. “Now we are taking a new step towards the future – a vaccine mandate for employees in the private sector. Together we can save lives and move on,” he added.