Fight against Delta variant: New York requires proof of vaccination

Status: 03.08.2021 8:45 p.m.

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In order to curb the spread of the Delta variant, vaccination certificates must be provided for activities in indoor public spaces in New York in the future. The rule applies to guests and employees in restaurants and fitness studios, for example.

In the US metropolis of New York, only vaccinated people will soon be allowed to enter fitness studios and the interiors of restaurants. Mayor Bill de Blasio said the new regime would be introduced over several weeks in August and September.

This makes New York the first major city in the United States to impose such restrictions. Before entering the premises, which also include the theater, guests must prove that they have been vaccinated against Corona at least once. “The only way to visit these facilities indoors is to be vaccinated,” said de Blasio. “The goal is to convince everyone that now is the time. If we want to stop the Delta variant, now is the time. And that means get vaccinated now.”

Key to the city

“If you’ve been vaccinated, you have the key, then you can open the door,” said de Blasio. “But unfortunately, if you are not vaccinated, there are many things you will not be able to take part in.” Details of the regulation are still being worked out, said the mayor.

The “Key to NYC” health pass is due to be introduced on August 16, but checks will not begin until September 13 – the week the city’s public schools reopen after the summer vacation. The regulation affects both guests and employees of the premises. At least one vaccine dose is required, said de Blasio.

Vaccination or test for public service

New York’s mayor is trying to get as many people in town as possible to get vaccinated. At the same time, he resisted demands that masks be prescribed in enclosed spaces, as cities and counties in California have done. De Blasio said he strongly recommends wearing masks in public buildings. But the city’s strategy is to vaccinate more people.

The number of corona infections in the USA has recently risen again due to the particularly contagious Delta variant of the virus. Over the past two weeks, Mayor de Blasio and New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo have stepped up efforts to expand vaccinations.

Public service employees, for example, have to either get vaccinated or undergo a corona test every week. Of the more than eight million inhabitants of the metropolis of New York, around 72 percent have received at least one first vaccination dose, according to the city. Around 66 percent of adults are therefore already fully vaccinated.