De Blasio hints that he could require vaccination for customers and restaurant workers – Telemundo New York (47)

Customers of New York City restaurants may be required to show proof that they are vaccinated in order to enter the business, due to growing concerns about the spread of the dangerous delta variant, suggested Mayor Bill de Blasio. Friday morning

However, De Blasio, who weighed the possibility of the additional measure on CNN, did not refer to requests from various elected officials to impose the use of masks indoors, as suggested by the CDC.

The mayor praised restaurant entrepreneur Danny Meyer for requiring that all employees and customers prove they are vaccinated in order to enter his establishments, raising the question of whether the city could implement and fulfill such a mandate more broadly.

“Given everything we are learning about the delta variant, all options are on the table,” said the coach.

“What is going to happen, bluntly, is that people who are vaccinated are going to be able to experience all the things they love in the life of this city and this country, and people who are not vaccinated will also find that many things that they want. do, they won’t be able to do it unless they’re vaccinated. That has to be the reality because people will respond to that, ”he added.

The possibility of such a mandate comes after de Blasio released several guidelines this week. On Monday, he announced that all city workers would have to be vaccinated or tested for the virus once a week, or they would face a possible suspension and not be paid. People who attend the concerts the city has planned will also need to show proof of vaccination to attend. And on Wednesday, the city announced paying $ 100 to those who agree to get vaccinated, something President Joe Biden recommended that local governments do across the country a day later.

But after the CDC implemented recommendations for the use of masks for the areas most affected by the delta variant, which includes the five districts, de Blasio has not yet issued the corresponding requirements. Instead, he said the city’s Health Department would have to examine the issue more closely and would make a statement on the issue early next week, prompting his critics, such as City Councilman Mark Levine , to qualify the delay as “outrageous.”

“There is increasing evidence that people who are vaccinated, although well protected, can still become infected,” he tweeted on Friday. “And yet New York City and State have not updated the mask guide * SINCE MAY *. We let the virus overtake us once again. Impressive”.

But De Blasio has repeatedly said that the emphasis in fighting COVID should focus primarily on vaccines.

“The main thing is vaccination. Masks can be helpful, ”he told CNN. “We are going to guide New Yorkers on the best way to wear masks, but that doesn’t change the basic reality. Vaccination does. So what we want to make sure is that everything we do is compatible with vaccination, “he added.

When asked about the possibility of the city requiring vaccinations at local restaurants, De Blasio said the city’s Health Department has the power, especially during an emergency, to set “a variety of rules.”

“We are looking at all those options,” he said. “We have tested the incentives for months and months. We have tried to be communicative, open and compassionate, and all of that was good, but we also need something tough right now, ”he said.

– .