What you should know
- The mayor-elect said he is concerned about how New York City’s new vaccination mandate will affect small businesses, although the CDC’s easing of quarantine guidelines should help more people overcome the increase in cases by the Omicron variant.
- The changes in the Big Apple were designed to combat the Omicron variant that has generated record cases of COVID locally and throughout the country. The cases are milder than those linked to delta.
- Still, the sheer volume of infections alone could decimate the workforce. The CDC now recommends a shorter isolation and quarantine window for people who have received the booster shot. New York has already modified its quarantine period.
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The mandate New York City’s private sector vaccination plan went into effect on Monday amid a steady and rapid rise in COVID infections fueled by the Omicron variant. However, the question is, will it last this week?
This question arises as Mayor-elect Eric Adams takes the oath this Saturday and curiosity grows about whether he will keep the mandate in its current form. Adams has repeatedly said that he reserves the right to assess the situation with his own healthcare team once in office and that he will make a decision that protects the interests of both public health and the economy.
Former Brooklyn Borough President and Mayor Bill de Blasio have been in frequent contact as part of the transition of power at this critical and unique time. De Blasio has said that he believes Adams will continue the private sector mandate, but respects whatever decision Adams ends up making when he takes office.
Adams has said he is concerned about how vaccination rules for the private sector will affect small businesses, many of which may not have the staffing resources to accommodate non-compliance absences. The rules also require detailed documentation of proof of vaccination and follow-up of second dose appointments for companies, adding another complex administrative layer for management.
For de Blasio, the controversy boils down to a singularly crucial point: the best thing for companies is to end the pandemic. Vaccination is the way to do it.
“I am 110% convinced that this was the right thing to do, it is still the right thing, particularly with Ómicron’s ferocity,” the mayor said of the mandate on Monday. “I do not know if there will be another variant behind this, but I know that our best defense is to vaccinate everyone and the mandates have worked.”
See the most frequently asked questions and answers about the mandate here.
About 83% of New York City adults are fully vaccinated, but that rate above the national average has not been enough to slow the spread of Omicron, which has caused more general but milder infections than previous strains of COVID. The moving average of new cases has increased more than 108% from the averages of the previous four weeks. COVID-19 hospitalizations increased 49% by the same parameters, although they remain manageable from a patient perspective at this time.
More clarity on the transition of the mandate could come Tuesday, when Adams will join De Blasio at his COVID-19 briefing. Governor Kathy Hochul is also expected to participate in the briefing, which comes a day after the state released alarming numbers on COVID hospitalizations. and children, especially in New York City.
Across the state, hospitalizations have exceeded 5,500 for the first time since late February. The 5,526 total that Hochul shared on Monday is an increase close to 190% from Nov. 1 alone.
The vast majority of the most serious COVID cases are in unvaccinated people, and The rising rates among unvaccinated children, especially those in the city, have officials at all levels of the New York government concerned. Pediatric COVID hospitalizations in the state have doubled in the past three weeks but have quadrupled across all five boroughs, state Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said Monday.
Among the 5 to 11-year-olds in the hospitalized group, none had been vaccinated, Bassett noted. About 16% of children in that age group statewide are fully vaccinated.
To increase the number of children vaccinated, New York City earlier this month required children ages 5 to 11 to show proof of a vaccine dose in order to enter indoor public places such as restaurants, movie theaters, theaters, gyms or stadiums. Monday’s mandate toughened that rule to require all people over the age of 12 to show proof of two doses.
The city has also been encouraging more New Yorkers to get their booster doses, which data shows it multiplies protection against COVID significantly, especially when it comes to omicron. $ 100 incentive offer expires Friday.
Another benefit of getting the booster shot? You can skip quarantine if you wear face masks in all settings for at least 10 days, the CDC announced Monday in its latest update to federal COVID-19 guidance.. People who don’t get boosted can stop self-quarantining after five days if they wear masks in all settings for another five days.
CDC’s new guidance is not a mandate; it is a recommendation to employers and state and local officials. Hochul had already announced that essential workers can shorten their quarantine window from 10 to five days if they are fully vaccinated and asymptomatic, or fully vaccinated and fever-free for at least 72 hours.
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