New York City is imposing a vaccine mandate on all private sector employers as a preventative measure to tackle a wave of Covid cases this winter, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday.
The mandate will take effect on December 27, de Blasio said.
“We have the omicron as a new factor, we have the colder weather, which is really going to create additional challenges with the delta variant, we have holiday gatherings,” de Blasio told MSNBC on Monday morning. “We in New York decided to use a preemptive strike to really do something bold to stop the further growth of Covid and the dangers it poses to all of us. “
The city will also require proof of vaccination for children between the ages of 5 and 11 for indoor dining, entertainment and fitness facilities, the mayor said.
New York identified eight cases of the omicron variant this weekend, seven in the New York City area and one in Suffolk County on Long Island.
Covid cases are on the rise in New York City, with more than 1,500 new cases confirmed daily on average, according to the city’s health department.
The New York City policy comes after the Biden administration was forced to halt the implementation and enforcement of national vaccine and testing requirements for companies with 100 or more employees in order to get comply with a federal court order.
Public health officials are concerned about an increase in Covid cases this winter from the delta variant as people gather inside to escape the winter cold. They are also concerned that the omicron variant will cause a spike in cases. The World Health Organization said last week that the first data suggests that omicron is more contagious than previous variants, although more information is needed.
It is not known whether omicron causes more serious illness, according to the WHO. People who have tested positive for omicron in the United States so far have had mild to moderate symptoms.
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