All private employers in New York City will be required to require their employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to regulations announced Monday by Mayor Bill de Blasio. This is one of the most radical measures on the issue of vaccines in the United States.
The measure comes as infections are increasing again in the country and the omicron variant of the coronavirus – which worries, but little is known about it – is gaining ground in New York and other parts of the country.
The mandate for the private sector will take effect on December 27 and seeks to prevent an increase in cases in the holiday season and winter months, the mayor said on the “Morning Joe” program on MSNBC radio station.
“We in New York City have decided to launch a preemptive attack and do something daring to stop the spread of COVID and the dangers it is causing us all,” said De Blasio.
De Blasio, a Democrat with only a few weeks left in office as leader of the nation’s largest city, said that by the time the measure takes effect, workers must present proof of having received at least one injection.
The measure will apply to some 184,000 businesses in the city of 8.8 million people, according to a spokesman for the mayor.
De Blasio said the measure is aimed at preventing a spike in infections amid Christmas gatherings and as cold weather brings more people indoors, where the coronavirus is more likely to spread.
Vaccination rules in states and cities vary widely, with some states resisting any mandate and others requiring vaccinations for government employees or certain sectors most at risk, such as doctors.
But no state has announced a broad mandate for the private sector the way New York City has, according to the state’s National Academy for Health Policy, a nonpartisan entity.
The requirement to get vaccinated already applies to municipal employees including teachers, police officers and firefighters. A mandate for religious and private school employees was announced last week.
De Blasio predicted that the mandate will survive any lawsuit against it in court.
Currently, in New York City, you must have received at least one dose of the vaccine to enter restaurants, theaters or gyms. According to the new rules, the requirement is extended to have the two vaccines for everyone over 12 years of age. For children between the ages of 5 and 11, it is enough to have just one.
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