More businesses added to NYC COVID vaccine proof mandate

NEW YORK - New COVID-19 measures in New York City were in effect Tuesday, putting restaurant servers, bartenders and ticket agents on the frontline of enforcing vaccination rules.

Restaurants, gyms, museums and many other indoor venues must now ask patrons to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19, including tourists.

"We said the week of August 16 and we needed to get a few more of the fine-tunings going there to address it," said de Blasio during a briefing from City Hall. "We wanted to get the word out today and start it formally tomorrow. The first month will be very much about education and engaging businesses, making sure we answer questions and showing people how it works."

New York City became the first major city in the U.S. to require proof of vaccination in order to eat indoors, use a gym see a show and many other activities.

The move is part of de Blasio's "Key to NYC" plan. Enforcement of the mandate would begin Sept. 13.

Over 30 businesses announced earlier this week that they were already requiring proof of vaccination ahead of the mandate.

"We're going to follow the guidelines," said Tracy Bayne, General Manager of Good Enough to Eat on the Upper West Side "We're prepared to check IDs and vaccination cards and just do what we need to do to make sure our staff is safe, customers are safe and everyone feels comfortable eating indoors again."

The businesses included in the vaccine mandate are movie theaters, live music, concert venues, museums and galleries, aquariums and zoos, professional sports arenas, stadiums, convention centers, exhibit halls, performing arts centers, bowling alleys, arcades, pool and billiards halls, casinos, adult entertainment, restaurants, catering halls, hotel banquet rooms, bars, cabarets, nightclubs, cafeterias, grocery stores, bakeries, coffee shops, fast food with indoor dining, gyms, fitness centers, fitness classes, pools, indoor studios, dance studios and sports classes.

The indoor mask mandate will be required to a number of businesses from gyms to theater and restaurants. 

Proof of vaccination can be through a CDC-issued vaccine card, NY Excelsior Pass, or the NYC COVID safe pass. 

The move is a measure to help combat the delta variant of the coronavirus and protect workers and patrons.

Since early August, more than 300,000 more people have gotten at least one shot of a vaccine, according to city data. At least 5.2 million of the city’s 8.8 million residents have gotten at least one shot, with nearly 5 million fully vaccinated.

With the Associated Press