New York City will now only hire vaccinated municipal workers, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday, amid an escalation of COVID-19 precautions aimed at curbing the spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus.
“Effective immediately, every single new person hired by the city of New York, before they report to work, they must provide proof of vaccination,” de Blasio said from City Hall during a remote press briefing. “Every new employee must provide proof of vaccination, or they cannot start their new job.”
“That is a pure vaccine mandate for new employees,” he added. “This is another step, as we intensify the vaccination effort.”
Meanwhile, the city’s top doctor issued “a strong recommendation” that all New Yorkers, “regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask in public, indoor settings.”
Bill de Blasio seen speaking with NYC health officials.REUTERS
“This is based on our review of the latest scientific evidence showing that the Delta variant of the coronavirus can spread even more easily than was previously thought,” Dr. Dave Chokshi, the city’s health commissioner, said during the Monday morning press briefing
“We want to strongly recommend that people wear masks in indoor settings, even if you’re vaccinated,” de Blasio said.
“Everything we do is vaccine-centric … but of course we want to make sure people are using masks in all the right ways.”
Bill de Blasio received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on March 18, 2021.
The move came after release of the Center for Disease Control’s new COVID-19 findings, which showed the Delta variant of the bug can spread even among vaccinated people.
Also Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said enacting a vaccine mandate for teachers and nursing home workers may be necessary down the line. Additionally, the governor advised the private businesses like bars and restaurants to require proof of vaccination for patrons.
Bill de Blasio seen speaking with NYC health officials.
Bill de Blasio received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on March 18, 2021.
