News

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Imposes Vaccine Mandate for all Private Employers

New York City has increased its vaccination mandates. This time, it requires that every worker in the private sector receive two COVID-19 vaccines.

“We, the New York City Mayor have decided that we will use a preventive strike in order to actually do something bold in order to stop COVID from growing further and the dangers they’re causing to us all,” stated Bill de Blasio during a MSNBC interview.

The mayor said this “first-in-the-nation” mandate was necessary to get ahead of the new omicron variant, and head off a potential winter surge of the delta variant.

As the order has not been released yet, it is not known what penalties will apply to those who do not comply. Dave A. Chokshi (the city’s health commissioner) said that businesses can receive guidance next week.

Chokshi said the city will also require those aged 5–11 to have at least one vaccine shot in order to enter restaurants and other public venues. People 12 and over will now need at least two doses to be allowed into these venues. People aged 12 or older only required one dose to enter restaurants, gyms and entertainment venues. Anyone younger did not need any vaccines.

Children aged 5–11 will also need to be vaccinated in order to participate in “high-risk” extracurricular activities like sports, band, and orchestra. In the past, vaccines were only required for those over 12 years old.

As of Saturday reports, there were eight reported cases of the variant omicron in New York. The Guardian. Data culled from The New York TimesThere are now 3,500 patients with COVID positive status in state hospitals, an increase of 34 percent over two weeks ago. This is slightly higher than the average of 35 daily deaths New York has been reporting since September.

It’s unclear, as with many other preemptive strikes that de Blasio will achieve its goals.

New York City, for one, is the highest vaccinated city in the world. Nearly 90 percent, or 82 percent, of New York City’s adult population have attained at least one COVID-19 vaccination.

The vaccination rate for children aged 5–17 is much lower (only 35 percent have received a full vaccine regimen). Children are at much less risk of COVID-19. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 24 children under 18 were responsible for the COVID-related deaths in New York City. This is slightly less than the 29 children. Who died from pneumonia in the capital city.

According to the law of diminishing return, coercing a vaccination rate of 85 percent or 90 percent will not make a significant difference in COVID-19-related deaths. This is especially true for this variant of the omicron omicron, as we do not know how effective vaccines are at stopping infection or transmission.

The CDC states that vaccines in place are capable of preventing “severe illnesses, hospitalizations, or deaths” from Omicron variant infections. However, breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated are likely to occur.”

Contrary to popular belief, New York City’s policymakers seem to believe that the greater the city’s vaccination rates, the wider the mandates for vaccines should be. To get to restaurants, people must be vaccinated. This has not resulted in a full 82 percent vaccination rate. It is evident that a mandatory mandate for all private employers to have a vaccine program.

This is a very troubling approach to COVID-19. It will make it more difficult for people not vaccinated. Can a city with a 95 per cent vaccination rate ease the mandates? Will the city need to mandate universal vaccines to eliminate any lingering unvaccinated?

De Blasio’s ilk don’t know what the off-ramp means. It’s becoming more apparent that there doesn’t seem to be one.