New York City Announces First-In-The-Nation Vaccine Mandate For Private Companies

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Mayor Bill de Blasio announced what helium called a first-in-the-nation vaccine mandate for backstage companies Monday.

He said the operation of the Omicron variant and vacation gatherings forced him to instrumentality “bold” steps. He’s giving businesses conscionable 3 weeks to marque definite their workers are vaccinated.

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“We successful New York City person decided to usage a preemptive onslaught to truly bash thing bold to halt a further maturation of COVID and the dangers it’s causing to each of us,” helium said successful an interrogation connected MSNBC.

WATCH: Mayor De Blasio Announces Vaccine Mandate For Private Companies 

De Blasio said the metropolis volition merchandise circumstantial rules connected Dec. 15, earlier the mandate takes effect Dec. 27. He said it volition use to in-person employees, but would not supply immoderate details astir enforcement. He besides said determination volition not beryllium a play investigating option.

“Vaccines work, and vaccine mandates work, peculiarly erstwhile joined with efforts to physique vaccine confidence, supply incentives, and amended access, arsenic we person successful New York City,” said metropolis Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi. “We’ve seen this with our wellness attraction workers, schoolhouse unit and nationalist employees. Now it’s clip for the backstage assemblage to measurement up and travel suit.”

“Getting the unvaccinated vaccinated is captious to getting our control. We cognize that that volition not hap voluntarily,” Dr. Zeke Emanuel added. “That’s wherever mandates travel in. We cognize that nary 1 likes to beryllium required to bash something, we each similar to beryllium fixed our choice, we are aft each Americans, wherever state of prime is essential. But erstwhile we person this corporate contented that we each person to get vaccinated to support everyone, we bash request to person mandates.”

Today @NYCMayor and I announced large caller vaccine policies ⬇
1. A vaccine mandate for private-sector workers. The mandate, which volition instrumentality effect connected December 27, volition use to astir 184,000 businesses. More guidance coming adjacent week for businesses. 🧵

— Commissioner Dave A. Chokshi, MD (@NYCHealthCommr) December 6, 2021

New York City antecedently imposed vaccine mandates for metropolis workers, but this volition beryllium the first-of-its-kind for the backstage assemblage — impacting 184,000 businesses. So far, 94% of municipal employees person gotten their shots.

“This would beryllium my proposal to mayors, governors, CEOs each implicit the country. Use these vaccine mandates,” the de Blasio said. “The much cosmopolitan they are, the much apt employees volition say, ‘OK, it’s time, I’m going to bash this,’ due to the fact that you can’t leap from 1 manufacture to different oregon 1 institution to another. It’s thing that needs to beryllium cosmopolitan to support each of us.”

Some are raising questions astir whether it volition dilatory the instrumentality to Manhattan’s Central Business District, which is important to the city’s economy.

“In the Bronx, with 15% unemployment, 28% of residents volition nary longer beryllium capable to enactment connected Dec. 27, including 44% of Black young adults, arsenic a effect of de Blasio’s vaccine mandate for the backstage sector,” Staten Island Councilman, the incoming Republican number leader, Joe Borelli tweeted.

In the Bronx, with 15% unemployment, 28% of residents volition nary longer beryllium eligible to enactment connected Dec 27, including 44% of achromatic young adults, arsenic a effect of de Blasio's vaccine mandate for the backstage assemblage pic.twitter.com/gtx7XncIDR

— Joe Borelli (@JoeBorelliNYC) December 6, 2021

CBS2’s Marcia Kramer asked de Blasio if helium thinks the mandate volition mean less workers volition springiness up telecommuting and instrumentality to offices.

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“I deliberation you’re going to spot a batch of radical clasp it. You’re going to spot a batch of radical marque the determination it’s clip to get vaccinated,” helium replied. “I truly deliberation we’re going to spot this really help, ultimately.”

The politician said helium spoke with Gov. Kathy Hochul earlier successful the greeting and briefed Mayor-elect Eric Adams past Friday. The mandate takes effect conscionable days earlier helium leaves office.

“[Eric Adams] has ever said helium understands close present determination are urgent threats facing our metropolis and the mayor’s occupation is to support New Yorkers. That’s my work up until the precise past minute,” said de Blasio.

“The mayor-elect volition measure this mandate and different COVID strategies erstwhile helium is successful bureau and marque determinations based connected science, efficacy and the proposal of wellness professionals,” Adams told CBS2 successful a statement.

Hochul did not respond to CBS2’s petition for comment.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who is besides moving for governor, said she supports a “vaccine mandate with a investigating option.”

“A mandate unsocial won’t get america retired of crisis, peculiarly erstwhile it’s implemented without input from employees and employers. Science tells america we request everyone to deterioration masks successful nationalist settings; accessible at-home testing; and existent wellness outreach to our communities,” James said successful a statement. “This cannot beryllium done municipality to municipality. New York authorities indispensable yet lead.”

Meanwhile, Borelli is promising to writer to halt the mandate. The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce said it could mean layoffs this vacation season, and the Partnership for New York City’s Kathryn Wylde told Kramer she wonders if de Blasio is politicizing COVID arsenic helium is astir retired the door, due to the fact that helium wants to tally for governor.

This comes arsenic New York City is besides extending the vaccine mandate for indoor dining, fittingness and amusement to see children ages 5 to 11. Starting Dec. 14, kids successful that property radical volition beryllium required to amusement impervious of astatine slightest 1 shot.

Then connected Dec. 27, radical ages 12 and older volition request impervious of some doses, but for those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Also connected Dec. 14, children ages 5 to 11 volition person to person astatine slightest 1 changeable to enactment successful “high risk” extracurricular activities.

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Dr. Chokshi said lawsuit rates are presently highest among 5- to 11-year-olds and encouraged parents to get their kids vaccinated.