New COVID mandate details for New York City businesses
NEW YORK - Mayor Bill de Blasio laid out additional details to the new COVID vaccine mandate for all private sector businesses in New York City.
From bodegas to multinational corporations, all employees must show proof of having gotten at least one vaccine dose to their employers beginning Dec. 27. Workers then have 45 days to show proof of getting the second dose.
"This is the boldest action in the nation," de Blasio said on Tuesday during his press briefing. "It is very, very consistent with what we're dealing with right now because we have new threats, powerful new threats we have to answer. Omicron, this new variant, moves fast. We have to move faster."
Employers must post a sign about the requirement for employees to see by Dec. 27. They must also keep a record of each worker's vaccination status and keep a record of any reasonable accommodations provided.
Then businesses must post a certificate in an "obvious location" showing that they are in compliance with the city's mandate.
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Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President Randy Peers said he is worried about how this will impact the economy.
"There is maybe a third or more businesses that are expressing they can't find workers," Peers said. "So a vaccine mandate that basically puts people's jobs in jeopardy is just going to exacerbate that problem."
Requests for either a religious or a medical exemption must be submitted by Dec. 27. Employees may continue working while accommodation applications are processed.
The move is aimed at preventing a spike in COVID-19 infections during the holiday season and the colder months. It does not apply to state entities.
If a business doesn't comply, the city will try to focus first on education, de Blasio said, but fines start at $1,000 after that.
"They do start at $1,000 per violation if we need to use them," de Blasio said. "We can escalate that intensely if we see a pattern of willful refusal to follow the law."
It will apply to roughly 184,000 businesses in the city, which has a population of 8.8 million. Exceptions can be made for employees who work remotely.
The mayor said he expects the mandate to survive any legal challenges.
Peers said he disagrees that this drastic measure is needed in New York City and pointed to possible confrontations at workplaces.
"It's all happening around the holiday too," Peers said. "How mean spirited is it to have to let people go right around the holiday? I mean, it is just a wrongheaded policy."
Current New York City COVID-19 rules also include at least one vaccine dose for indoor restaurant dining, entertainment venues and fitness centers.
Under new mandates for indoor dining, entertainment and gyms, two shots will be required for people over 12. One shot is required for children aged 5 to 11, who are not covered by the current mandate, de Blasio said.