NYC expands vaccine mandate to the private sector

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday a new COVID-19 mandate requiring all private-sector employees to be vaccinated by December 27, which he claims will help prevent the spread of the omicron variant.

“Omicron is here, and it looks like it’s very transmissible,” said de Blasio in an interview on MSNBC. “The timing is horrible with the winter months.”

"We’ve got omicron as a new factor, we’ve got the colder weather, which is going to really create additional challenges with the delta variant, we’ve got holiday gatherings," he added.

The #OmicronVariant has arrived. Winter months will make create new challenges. We’re not waiting for another #COVID19 surge.

We’re taking a preemptive strike:

pic.twitter.com/rMgNDWnFa7

— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) December 6, 2021

The measure will be the first of its kind in the nation and would apply to some 184,000 businesses.

De Blasio said the vaccine mandate is the best way to avoid stricter restrictions and shut down businesses like the city did last year.

"We need to take very bold action. We're seeing restrictions starting to come back. We're seeing shutdowns," he said at a press conference. "We cannot let those restrictions come back. We cannot have shutdowns in New York."

De Blasio also tightened restrictions for the city’s existing vaccine mandate, which required city employees to be vaccinated and show vaccination proof for indoor dining, fitness and entertainment.

"We’re going to have other measures as well to focus on maximizing vaccinations quickly, so we can get ahead of omicron and all the other challenges we’re facing right now because of COVID," de Blasio said.

Starting on December 14, children 5 to 11 will need to show proof of at least one dose to enter restaurants or participate in “high-risk extracurricular activities.” Requirements for those 12 and older are also expanding, requiring them to show proof of two vaccination doses starting on December 27, unless they received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Nearly 90 percent of adults in the Big Apple—6.5 million—have received at least one dose of the vaccine, reported de Blasio’s office. Over 20 percent of children 5 to 11 have been vaccinated.

Despite vaccination rates, COVID-19 cases have been increasing. The city has a daily average of 1,500 new cases, according to the health department. Furthermore, New York has reported eight cases of omicron, seven of which were found in New York City.

"We in NYC have decided to use a preemptive strike to really do something bold to stop the further growth of COVID," de Blasio said in the interview.