'It's Time To Act': Mayor Unveils City Health COVID Vax Mandate

NEW YORK CITY — A new coronavirus vaccine mandate for New York City's public health care workers could soon extend to more city employees, Mayor Bill de Blasio hinted Wednesday.

De Blasio officially unveiled what he called a "COVID safety requirement" — a mandate that workers at city-run hospitals and clinics either get the coronavirus vaccine or submit to weekly testing.

He framed the mandate as an essential to fight the rapidly spreading, more-contagious Delta variant of coronavirus. The effort will build upon a largely successful vaccination drive in the city, he said.

"It's the reason we have a recovery, it's the reason hospitalizations are low, but doesn't take away from the fact that we see the Delta variant and we see the case numbers rising and it's time to act," he said.

Officials fear the Delta variant could drive a "pandemic of the unvaccinated."

About 9.77 million doses of vaccine have been distributed so far in New York City and 58 percent of all city dwellers received at least one dose, data shows.

De Blasio kicked off his announcement by highlighting "victories" in the city's vaccination drive, from 4.9 million first doses given to more than 100,000 shots at mobile sites to $80,000 in referral bonuses to New Yorkers.

But de Blasio said the Delta variant required more to do be done. Masks alone won't help against it, he said.

"A mask is like a peashooter and the vaccine is like a cannon," he said. "The vaccine is what actually wins."

About 60 percent of Health + Hospitals staff have been vaccinated, said Mitchell Katz, who heads that system. That's higher than the 50 percent of health care workers nationwide, he said.

Dave Chokshi, the city's health commissioner, issued an order requiring vaccines for workers at Health + Hospitals facilities and those in health department clinics.

"So, beginning Aug. 2, proof of vaccination or a negative test will be requested from all our clinic-based staff,” he said. “That means nurses, doctors, social workers, custodians and registrars.”

Chokshi urged other institutions in the city, particularly private health care systems, to issue similar mandates.

Likewise, a roster of health care luminaries backed up the city's mandate.

“This policy balances the rights of patients, public health and individual rights,” Celine Gounder, with NYU's Grossman School of Medicine, during the mayor's briefing.

Prominent medical ethicist Ezekiel Emanuel said vaccine mandates in other health care systems have proven effective with 99 percent of workers getting vaccinated. He called New York City's approach an ethical, legal and effective strategy to avoid the Delta variant's spread and protecting patients.

“It is wonderful that New York City is taking the lead on this, being courageous and doing the right thing and making health care live up to its ethical obligations,” he said.

De Blasio left the door open to police, teachers and all other city staff eventually falling under a similar mandate.

“We’re going to look at all of those things,” he said. “Again, we had a clear sense that had to get start in the most important place, that’s our health care workers.”