It is being tried in New York, and is probably only a few heart beats away here for Australia. That is why we need to watch closely what happens in the US, the universal salad bowl.
“New York City residents and visitors will be asked to present evidence of vaccination for indoor dining, gyms, and shows, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday.
The mayor is calling the city’s vaccine passport the “Key to NYC Pass.”
“This is a miraculous place, literally filled with wonders,” de Blasio announced about the city. “If you’re vaccinated, that’s gonna open up to you, you can open the door. If you’re unvaccinated you will not be able to participate in many things. It’s time for people to see vaccination as necessary to living a good, full, and healthy life.”
“It will require vaccination for workers and customers in indoor dining, in indoor fitness facilities, indoor entertainment facilities,” he said. “The only way to patronize these businesses indoors is if you’re vaccinated.”
“If we’re going to stop the Delta variant, the time is now,” said the mayor. “This is going to make it clear, you want to enjoy everything great in this summer of New York City? Go get vaccinated.”
De Blasio explained that New York City is the first in the country to take this step, though the program is modeled after the vaccine passport programs rolled out in France and other European countries, officials said. It will begin on Aug. 16 and be enforced starting Sept. 13.
The mayor, as well as many other cities across the nation and the world, has been attempting to incentivize individuals to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as the delta variant proceeds to spread and end lives. The proof-of-vaccination announcement follows last week’s announcement of roughly a $100 cash incentive for vaccinations. The cash incentive has proven effective thus far, with over 11,000 individuals getting their first dose of the vaccination in the four days since the program started. The mayor announced that 5 million New Yorkers have gotten at least 1 dose of the vaccine.
“We’re now at this point that we’ve dreamed of, and we’re going to go even farther with a smart mix of incentives and mandates,” he said. “We’re going to use every tool we’ve got to fight the delta variant and end the COVID era once and for all.”
Unlike the newly published rules for city workers, those who are unvaccinated will not have an option to get a COVID-19 test, administration sources explained. The limitations will not apply to outdoor dining, sources said.
In recent days, de Blasio has repeatedly hovered the possibility of ramping up restrictions and vaccine requirements. He mandated in late July that all public health system employees receive their shots or receive a weekly coronavirus test — and then expanded the requirement to the entire city workforce.”