The Daily Show puts a cheeky Cuomo spin on New York City's new COVID-19 indoor vaccination requirement

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) announced Tuesday that the city will require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for indoor activities like dining at a restaurant, exercising at the gym, and attending live performances. "The only way to patronize these establishments indoors will be if you're vaccinated, at least one dose," he said at a news conference. "If you want to participate in our society fully, you've got to get vaccinated."
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) faced a different sort of existential crisis on Tuesday when state Attorney General Letitia James released a report saying he had violated federal and state civil laws by sexually harassing at least 11 women. The Daily Show combined both threads Tuesday evening.
New York City's new indoor public vaccination requirement will go into effect Aug. 16, after the city gets input from local businesses, and enforcement will begin in September. It is similar to new programs in France, Germany, and Italy, but few other U.S. cities have taken such an aggressive move to slow the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant. About 55 percent of all New Yorkers and 66 percent of adults are fully vaccinated, and 60 percent of all New Yorkers have gotten at least one shot.
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President Biden said he doesn't think more cities or states should require vaccine verification. "I think they just need to give the authority to those restaurants or businesses to say, in order to come in, you have to give proof that you've been vaccinated or that you can't come in," he said.
But other cities may still follow New York City's lead, and some private businesses are already requiring proof of vaccination. New York indoor patrons will likely be able to show their paper vaccine record, use the state's Excelsior Pass app, or employ New York City's NYC COVID Safe app to prove their vaccine statues. You can read about other options at The Washington Post.
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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