NEW YORK, Dec. 6 (US) – All private employers in New York City will have to require their workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the mayor announced Monday, enforcing one of the most aggressive vaccination rules in the country.
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s move comes as cases are once again surging in the United States, and the worrisome omicron variant is gaining a foothold in New York and elsewhere across the country.
“We in New York City have decided to use a preemptive strike to do something really bold to stop the further spread of COVID and the risks it poses to all of us,” he said.
De Blasio, a Democrat who has only a few weeks left in his position as leader of the nation’s largest city, said the mandate will take effect December 27, according to the Associated Press.
Speaking on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” he said the move is aimed at avoiding a spike in infections amid holiday gatherings, as cold weather pushes more people indoors, where the virus is more likely to spread.
Vaccine mandates vary widely across states and cities, with some states resisting any mandates while others require that vaccines be given to government employees or certain particularly high-risk sectors, such as health care workers.
But most officials have not announced mandates that reach the private sector, nor mandates that cover many people.
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