All NYC Workers Must Have Vaccine by December 27

All private employers in New York City must require workers to be vaccinated against Covid-19, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday. The city will be the first in the U.S. to mandate vaccination for private-sector workers.

Taking effect on December 27, the policy applies to approximately 184,000 businesses not covered by previous vaccine mandates. Employees will retain the right to ask for religious or medical exemptions.

According to de Blasio, the mandate is intended as a preemptive strike. "We've got Omicron as a new factor, we've got the colder weather which is going to really create new challenges with the Delta variant, we've got holiday gatherings," de Blasio said, speaking to MSNBC.

"Vaccine mandates are the one thing that breaks through."

According to the New York Times Covid data, rates in the city are around 20 in 100,000, which is lower than the national average of 33 in 100,000. However, rates in the city have been rising over the past month.

Ten cases of the highly transmissible new Covid variant, Omicron, have been found in New York City and surrounding areas. Scientists say it is too soon to know if it is more dangerous than previous versions, but health experts are urging people to get their shots and a booster, believing that the vaccine will still offer protection against the variant.

The Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, which includes 30,000+ businesses both big and small, said it supports the new measures.

Mr de Blasio also announced that rules on entry to restaurants, bars, and gyms for over 12s will be tightened. Currently, customers must prove they have received at least one dose of the vaccine; that will be increased to two, with the exemption of those who received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Further guidance on the new policy will be issued on 15 December.