Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio reportedly plans to announce Tuesday the city will begin requiring proof of vaccination at certain indoor businesses like restaurants, gyms and performance venues.
The mandate will go into effect later in August and will also apply to employees of said indoor businesses, a city official told The New York Times. With the announcement, New York City will become the first city in the United States to implement a government-mandated vaccine passport.
Breaking News: New York will require proof of vaccination for indoor dining and gyms, Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to announce. It’s believed to be the first U.S. city to do so.https://t.co/W6FGP9ZIo5
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 3, 2021
De Blasio has taken other measures in recent weeks to try and increase the city’s vaccination rate, including mandating proof of vaccination or weekly testing for city employees and a $100 payment to members of the public who get the jabs. Roughly two-thirds of adults in the city are currently vaccinated. (RELATED: De Blasio Says ‘Voluntary Phase Is Over’ On Vaccines)
The outgoing mayor stopped short of reinstituting an indoor mask mandate Monday when he announced a new “recommendation” to wear them. Other cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., have reimplemented mask mandates since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed course last week on its mask guidance for vaccinated individuals.
New York’s vaccine passport will be known as the “Key to NYC Pass.” It will reportedly be modeled off of similar passes used in foreign countries like France and Israel. In France, the vaccine passport sparked a new wave of vaccination, but also brought with it widespread protests and rioting in opposition. (RELATED: New York’s First-In-Nation Vaccine Passport Is Super Easy To Fake: REPORT)