Monday, December 6th, 2021
Around 184,000 companies affected
New York announces compulsory vaccination for the private sector
The new Corona variant Omikron, the cold weather and the Christmas holidays are causing the city of New York to take tougher measures. From December 27, employees in shops and companies must be vaccinated. It is the first mandatory vaccination of its kind in the USA.
In New York, all employees in the private sector will be compulsorily vaccinated from the end of December. New York is launching “a pre-emptive attack” to stop the further spread of the coronavirus “and the dangers it means for us all,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio to MSNBC. The compulsory vaccination applies from December 27th.
A general vaccination requirement already applies to municipal employees. In addition, children would have to be vaccinated for going to restaurants in the future. De Blasio referred to the occurrence of the coronavirus variant Omikron, the cold winter weather and the upcoming holidays as “additional challenges” in the fight against the pandemic. He was “very concerned,” he said with a view to the first confirmed Omicron cases in at least 15 US states, including New York.
The vaccination requirement affects approximately 184,000 New York shops and businesses. The order goes further than US President Joe Biden’s nationwide compulsory vaccination for companies with more than 100 employees from the beginning of January. This has been temporarily suspended by the courts. Vaccination requirements have a long history in the United States, but are usually issued by cities or states.
The metropolis was particularly badly affected by the pandemic last year with 34,000 deaths. After that, the big city recovered and was considered a prime example of fighting the virus. In New York, unvaccinated people can no longer sit indoors in bars or restaurants. Events such as plays, musicals or exhibitions also require appropriate evidence.