Proof of vaccination will be required for a variety of indoor activities in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday.
Ahead of a livestreamed press conference, de Blasio’s press secretary was seen retweeting a number of stories anticipating the announcement of what’s being called the Key to NYC Pass program. Addressing NYC residents not long after these reports started stacking up, de Blasio touted the recent milestone of 5 million New Yorkers having received at least one dose of a two-dose vaccine before turning his attention to what’s next in terms of health and safety assurance.
“It’s time for people to see vaccination as literally necessary to living a good and full and healthy life,” the mayor said when detailing the Key to NYC Pass program, which he noted marks a “first in the nation” approach to boosting vaccination numbers.
The Key to NYC Pass launches Aug. 16 (with an enforcement date of Sept. 13) and will require vaccination for workers and customers in indoor dining, indoor fitness facilities, and indoor entertainment facilities.
“This is crucial because we know that this will encourage a lot more vaccinations,” de Blasio said.
Complex has reached out to the mayor’s office for additional comment.
For the U.S. at large, boosting the vaccination rate remains a key priority as we work toward moving through and eventually beyond the pandemic era. The latest CDC stats, dated Aug. 2, show that just 49.7 of the total U.S. population is fully vaccinated.
In addition to vaccine-related measures put in place at the governmental level, some artists have also stepped up with similar policies for upcoming shows. Japanese Breakfast, for example, announced this week that attendance at all shows on her 2021 tour will require vaccine proof or documents showing a negative test. And back in June, Foo Fighters required that everyone at their Madison Square Garden show proof of vaccination.
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