On Wednesday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio laid out his plans for private sector workers' COVID vaccine mandate, which requires them to get at least one dose starting Dec. 27 and proof of the second dose within the next 45 days for those who are getting the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. This New York City vaccine mandate allows for medical and religious exemptions.
"We saw every single time we put a mandate in place, it was the decisive factor in getting a lot of people to move," Mayor de Blasio said during a press briefing, as reported by Fox Business. "So, I do not expect people to be losing their jobs because we have a body of evidence that shows that people make the decision, when it's really the moment of truth...to get vaccinated."
This is a stark contrast to the way the New York state approached the COVID vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, which did not allow for religious exemptions.
In fact, the Supreme Court this week refused to block the state's COVID vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, which prohibited religious exemptions. A group of 20 Christian healthcare professionals filed an appeal to the Supreme Court, but it refused to take action, causing Justice Neil Gorsuch to lament in a 14-page opinion that the high court failed to protect the rights of Christian New Yorkers from the sweeping mandate.
Meanwhile, Mayor de Blasio's New York City vaccine mandate will apply to employees who work in-person and those who interact with the public for business. Under the mandate, NYC businesses also "may not allow any unvaccinated workers to come to their workplace." This includes any location such as a vehicle with more than one person.
"We've got to keep everyone safe. We're up against a new challenge," Mayor de Blasio remarked. "So, I think it is, in fact, a positive spirit to say, 'Let's make sure this city doesn't have to shut down again,' which would be the worst thing in the world for people, for families, for their livelihoods."
A recent New York Post editorial revealed that COVID mandates among a slew of other factors are impacting the Big Apple's economy. In fact, while the rest of the U.S. was recovering most of the jobs lost during the COVID pandemic, New York City regained only a little more than half of one million jobs lost. Statistics revealed that while the United States recovered 6 million jobs, New York City added 174,000. In addition, New York City's 9.4% jobless rate is more than double America's 4.6%.
Other factors that impacted how New York City is bouncing back from the pandemic include the harsh lockdowns imposed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Mayor de Blasio's vaccine mandate for the private sector and Gov. Kathy Hochul's new indoor mask requirement "can only further stall the economy," the editorial said. On Tuesday, Gov. Hochul blamed Mayor de Blasio for extending her order to New York City, arguing she already exempted it for its "more restrictive requirement in place."
