JUST IN: NYC Mayor De Blasio Announces New Private Sector Vaccine Mandate For All Employees, Along With Brand New Requirements For Kids

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio made an announcement on Monday, stating that the city will now be imposing brand new coronavirus vaccine mandate requirements that will begin on December 27, 2021.

The current mayor is on his way out the door, but he has decided to impose these new restrictions during his last days in office.

via Daily Wire:

According to MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” the mayor is also requiring proof of vaccination for all indoor dining, fitness, and entertainment venues for children ages 5 to 11. In addition to these changes, citizens must receive two vaccine shots as opposed to one to be considered fully vaccinated.

De Blasio called the move a “pre-emptive strike” on COVID ahead of the winter months on the morning talk show.

“We’ve got the colder weather, which is going to really create additional challenges with the Delta variant, we’ve got holiday gatherings. We in New York City have decided to use a preemptive strike to really do something bold to stop the further growth of COVID and the dangers it’s causing to all of us,” de Blasio remarked just before announcing that his health department would have more information later in the day on Monday.

De Blasio’s mandate is different from President Joe Biden’s federally imposed vaccine mandate — currently being challenged by The Daily Wire — in that any private sector employee, regardless of company size, must follow the mandate beginning December 27.

NYC Councilmember Stephen Levin was very pleased with de Blasio’s vaccine mandate saying, “I really applaud @NYCMayor @BilldeBlasio for this. All along, the argument against vaxx mandates has been it’s unpopular. Nobody likes a mandate. But the fact is, vaxx mandates save lives, & w #Omicron we must be prepared as much as possible. Good to him doing the right thing.”

“NYC is a global leader when it comes to #COVID19 recovery. 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,” the mayor said.

The mandate will take effect four days before de Blasio leaves office. Eric Adams, the man who will take his place, has previously stated his support for the current vaccine mandate in the city, but it’s not clear how he will handle the new changes.