'Voluntary Phase Is Over': NYC Enters Strict COVID Vaccine Period

NEW YORK CITY — A strict coronavirus vaccine-or-testing mandate for city workers. Increased mask enforcement in public spaces. A once-in-a-lifetime megaconcert only for the vaccinated.

New York City finds itself at the forefront of a growing national momentum toward strict measures designed to boost vaccinations and fight the highly contagious delta variant.

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday visibly brimmed with frustration as he justified strict new approaches toward vaccinations during an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

"We've got to shake people at this point and say, 'Come on now,'" he said. "We tried voluntary. You know, we could not have been more kind and compassionate as a country: free testing everywhere you turn, incentives. Friendly, warm embrace. The voluntary phase is over. We can keep doing those things, I'm not saying shut it down. I'm saying voluntary alone doesn't work. It's time for mandates because it's the only way to protect our people."

Minutes after de Blasio spoke, The New York Times and other national outlets broke the news that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would recommend vaccinated people wear masks indoors in some areas — a striking reversal of guidance issued in May.

Concern over the delta variant and flagging vaccination rates in certain localities and states prompted a shift in public policies. The variant has been associated with a rise in so-called "breakthrough cases" among vaccinated people and larger increases in infections among the unvaccinated nationwide.

The city is seeing 901 new cases per day on average — up from 192 on June 24, health department data shows.

The shift toward stricter vaccine requirements is happening quickly, with this as a backdrop.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a vaccine-or-testing mandate for his state's government workers on Monday — the same day de Blasio announced one for city workers. Later that day, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs set a mandate for its health care workers.

De Blasio on Tuesday said city health officials would need to see the CDC's updated indoor mask suggestions. But he repeated what he has been saying for weeks: Masks alone aren't the solution to fighting the delta variant.

"Whatever happens with masks, I want to be as clear as I can be: The No. 1 tool, the No. 1 weapon, the No. 1 savior is vaccination," he said.

The vaccination requirement for the Central Park megaconcert — "We Love New York City: The Homecoming Concert" — arose amid this growing strong stance.

De Blasio framed the choice as simple.

"If you want to go to this concert, get vaccinated," he said. "If you're already vaccinated, great. If not, just go get vaccinated and you can get to this concert. It's the simplest way to guarantee that you have the opportunity."

Staff at the concert will check vaccinations as people enter the show, de Blasio said, but he didn't provide details.

This week, he also announced that the city will release an app — New York City COVID Safe — for municipal workers and others to display their vaccination status or recent coronavirus testing results. The app will run in parallel to the state's Excelsior Pass.

More than 9.88 million coronavirus vaccine doses have been distributed so far in the city, data shows. About 59 percent of all New Yorkers and 71 percent of adults in the city have received at least one dose of vaccine, according to data.