NYC to end COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private businesses

NYC vaccine mandate change

Mayor Eric Adams will lift the city's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private businesses.

NEW YORK - New York City's private businesses will no longer have to require their employees to have COVID-19 vaccines under new rules that go into effect on Nov. 1, 2022. The private sector companies will be allowed to set up their own vaccine policies.

New York City began requiring private businesses to ban unvaccinated employees from the workplace in December 2021.

The move does not cover city workers, who will still be required to be vaccinated.

The city will also make vaccines optional for students who participate in extracurricular activities, including, New York City’s Public School Athletic League (PSAL).

Mayor Eric Adams made the announcement as he received a COVID-19 booster.

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NYC changing COVID-19 vaccine rules

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is ending the mandate for some people and not others.

The city will launch a campaign to promote COVID-19 boosters this fall. It will include print, television, radio, and digital ads.

"I’m thrilled to roll up my sleeve and get boosted and encourage all eligible New Yorkers to do the same," said Mayor Adams. "The new bivalent booster is here, providing better protection against variants we are seeing now and quite likely against variants in the future as well."

New York City continues to strongly urge private employers to put in place their own vaccine mandates.

The mayor says updated bivalent COVID-19 boosters are more effective at protecting against the latest variants and are recommended for all New Yorkers ages 12-and-up whose last COVID-19 vaccination was more than two months ago.

Coronavirus rules have been easing in New York. A mask requirement on public transportation in NY ended earlier this month.