Mayor de Blasio announces 'first-in-the-nation' vaccine mandate for NYC's private employers
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday announced a sweeping new COVID-19 vaccine mandate for the city's private employers, to go into effect starting Dec. 27, The New York Times reports.
The mayor described the "first-in-the-nation" measure as a "preemptive strike" against yet another surge of infections, particularly during the holidays and winter season.
"We've got Omicron as a new factor," de Blasio told MSNBC. "We've got the colder weather, which is going to really create additional challenges with the Delta variant. We've got holidays gatherings."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"We in New York City have decided to use a preemptive strike to really do something bold to stop the further growth of COVID and the dangers it's causing to all of us," he added.
De Blasio also announced the city would be extended existing dining and entertainment vaccination requirements to children ages 5 to 11 beginning Dec. 14, and that the rule for adults would increase from one shot dose to two beginning Dec. 27. Kids between 5 and 11-years-old need only show proof of one dose when the rule kicks in, however, per NBC 4 New York.
The mayor, who has less than a month left in office, said he is confident this new measure will survive legal challenges, writes the Times.
"We are confident because it's universal," de Blasio said regarding the mandate.
-
Crisis in Cuba: a ‘golden opportunity’ for Washington?Talking Point The Trump administration is applying the pressure, and with Latin America swinging to the right, Havana is becoming more ‘politically isolated’
-
5 thoroughly redacted cartoons about Pam Bondi protecting predatorsCartoons Artists take on the real victim, types of protection, and more
-
Palestine Action and the trouble with defining terrorismIn the Spotlight The issues with proscribing the group ‘became apparent as soon as the police began putting it into practice’
-
A Nipah virus outbreak in India has brought back Covid-era surveillanceUnder the radar The disease can spread through animals and humans
-
Trump HHS slashes advised child vaccinationsSpeed Read In a widely condemned move, the CDC will now recommend that children get vaccinated against 11 communicable diseases, not 17
-
Covid-19 mRNA vaccines could help fight cancerUnder the radar They boost the immune system
-
FDA OKs generic abortion pill, riling the rightSpeed Read The drug in question is a generic version of mifepristone, used to carry out two-thirds of US abortions
-
The new Stratus Covid strain – and why it’s on the riseThe Explainer ‘No evidence’ new variant is more dangerous or that vaccines won’t work against it, say UK health experts
-
RFK Jr. vaccine panel advises restricting MMRV shotSpeed Read The committee voted to restrict access to a childhood vaccine against chickenpox
-
Texas declares end to measles outbreakSpeed Read The vaccine-preventable disease is still spreading in neighboring states, Mexico and Canada
-
RFK Jr. shuts down mRNA vaccine funding at agencySpeed Read The decision canceled or modified 22 projects, primarily for work on vaccines and therapeutics for respiratory viruses
