All NYC Private Sector Workers Face COVID Vaccine Mandate: Mayor

NEW YORK CITY — All private sector workers in New York City will fall under a sweeping new coronavirus vaccine mandate, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

De Blasio said Monday the mandate takes effect Dec. 27 and covers employees "across the board." The measure will cover 184,000 businesses, he said.

"We in New York City have decided to use a pre-emptive strike to really do something bold to stop the further growth of COVID and the dangers it’s causing to all of us," he said.

De Blasio announced the mandate, which potentially affects millions of New Yorkers, on "Morning Joe" on MSNBC. He also alluded to additional measures to fight the delta variant during cold weather and the new omicron variant.

Those are, according to the mayor's office:

• Starting Dec. 14, children ages 5-11 must show proof of vaccination to enter indoor dining, entertainment and performance venues and fitness establishments.
• New Yorkers 12 and older must show proof of two vaccine doses — unless they have received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine — to enter many indoor spaces.
• Children who ages 5-11 who engage in high-risk extracurricular activities such as sports, band, orchestra and dance must be vaccinated and get their initial shot by Dec. 14

Today @NYCMayor and I announced major new vaccine policies ⬇
1. A vaccine mandate for private-sector workers. The mandate, which will take effect on December 27, will apply to roughly 184,000 businesses. More guidance coming next week for businesses. 🧵
— Commissioner Dave A. Chokshi, MD (@NYCHealthCommr) December 6, 2021

Together, the new mandates cover a wider swath of New Yorkers than any previous rule. No other city has imposed such a universal vaccine mandate for private employees.

"The more universal they are, the more likely employees will say OK, 'It’s time, I’m going to do this,'" de Blasio said of mandates. "Because you can’t jump from one industry to another or one company to another, it’s something that needs to be universal to protect all of us."

The measures may seem a return to strict rules to fight the coronavirus, but de Blasio said they're necessary to avoid wider shutdowns that countries such as Germany are now reviving.

“We are not going back to what happened in 2020,” he said. “We cannot allow that to happen.”

De Blasio didn't provide much information on how the city will enforce the private sector mandate. He said businesses will receive guidance on Dec. 15.

“We’re going to be talking to them in the next days on how to put together the right plan to implement this,” he said.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.