Monday morning, Dec. 6, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a vaccine mandate for all private sector workers. The new measure, which is set to go into effect starting Dec. 27, is in response to the spread of the Omicron variant.

The mandate is the first of its kind in the country.

“NYC is a global leader when it comes to #COVID19 recovery,” de Blasio tweeted early Monday morning. “We’ve proven that with vaccine mandates and incentives, we can beat this virus.”

“Now we’re taking another step towards the future — a private sector employee vaccine mandate. Together we can save lives and move forward.”

“We’ve got Omicron as a new factor. We’ve got the colder weather, which is really going to create additional challenges with the Delta variant. We’ve got holiday gatherings. We in New York City have decided to use a pre-emptive strike to really do something bold to stop the further growth of COVID and the dangers it is causing to all of us,” de Blasio said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

All private sector employers in New York City will be covered by this mandate,” de Blasio added.

In a press briefing Monday morning, de Blasio explained that the mandate will apply to in-person workers and businesses with more than one employee. He said that more details, including information on penalties for businesses that don’t comply, will be released on Dec. 15.

De Blasio also announced that, starting Dec. 14, children ages 5 to 11 will have to show vaccine cards for indoor dining and entertainment. And starting Dec. 27, the requirement for adults will rise from one vaccine dose to two.

Last week, de Blasio and City Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi reinstituted the mask advisory, strongly encouraging New Yorkers to wear masks indoors and in all public settings, regardless of vaccination status, suggesting that masking up, getting vaccinated and social distancing are still the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Currently, roughly 90 percent of adults in New York City have received at least one dose of a vaccine, while just over 80 percent are fully vaccinated. Over 1 million in the city have already received a booster dose.

All New York residents over the age of 18 who received their Pfizer or Moderna vaccine series at least six months ago or the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago are currently eligible for COVID booster shots.

For more information on where to find a booster shot in Bushwick, check out this article.

This article was last updated at 1:20 p.m. on Dec. 6.

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