NYC Mandates Vaccines

Mayor Bill De Blasio issued the first government-imposed vaccination mandale in the country this morning.
Beginning August 16, all workers and customers in certain businesses in New York City will be required to be vaccinated. The "indoor activities" covered include restaurants, gyms, and entertainment venues. That means patrons must be turned away, and employees terminated, if they fail to comply.

Inspections and enforcement begin on September 13, but the penalties have yet to be defined. Between August 16 and September 13, the City says it will launch an outreach effort to educate businesses on how to comply with the new requirement.

To help streamline the "proof" process, the Mayor's Office, in conjunction with the NYC Department of Health, is establishing a "KEY TO NYC PASS". Not its own proof of vaccination, the "pass" sounds more like a program that will be designed to guide businesses through how to verify vaccination status ... whether the patron or employee has an NYC Excelsior pass, CDC card, or evidence offered through the City's own app.

Details are developing, and there is discussion of expanding the new law's application to other types of businesses. Even without a mandate, though, many workplaces are starting to require their employees to be vaccinated in order to return to work. Other employers are considering policies that require regular testing of employees who are nor vaccinated. All employers need to stay abreast of developments, and decide what policy will work for them.