Mayor Bill de Blasio’s controversial COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private businesses goes into effect Monday – as he prepares to leave office in five days, leaving its enforcement to mayor-elect Eric Adams.
“Today [is] a historic day in New York. We are implementing the strongest vaccination mandate in the country today, any private sector employer,” de Blasio said Monday morning on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“This is what we must do everywhere,” added the outgoing mayor. “Every mayor, every governor, every CEO in America should be making vaccination mandates now, because 2022 has to be the year we leave COVID behind.”
The policy, announced Dec. 6, specifies that employers “may not allow any unvaccinated workers into their workplace,” according to guidelines released earlier this month.
Fines for non-compliant businesses start at $1,000 and increase for subsequent violations, City Hall instructions warn.
Starting Monday, Big Apple business owners are invited to sign a form which affirms compliance with vaccination rules to be displayed in a “public place” in the workplace.
The one-page form includes the name and address of the business, along with a date and signature from the business owner stating: “I affirm that I have read the Order of the Commissioner of December 13, 2021 New York City health requiring vaccination. workers and that my workplace complies with the order.
Adams, who takes office on January 1, has not taken a final position on the measure. The outgoing Brooklyn borough president recently noted that business leaders across the five boroughs are “concerned” about the mandate, while pledging to “evaluate” it and make a decision “following the science.” “.
But notably, Adams announced last week that de Blasio’s health commissioner, Dr Dave Chokshi, will remain in his role until mid-March next year.
Also on Monday, New Yorkers 12 and older will need to have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine — except for those who received the one-dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson — to enter many settings. interiors in the five boroughs.
This includes restaurants, gyms and indoor entertainment venues like movie theaters and Broadway shows.
The original version of the “Key to NYC” program, which went into effect on September 13, required only one dose of the vaccine to enter bars, restaurants and indoor entertainment venues like movie theaters.
The enforcement of the vaccine requirement in the private sector comes after de Blasio’s municipal employee mandate came into effect in early November.
