Jul 21, 2021 - Health

NYC to require vaccination or weekly testing for health workers

Shawna Chen

Photo of a masked person walking by a mobile vaccine clinic — A New York City mobile coronavirus vaccine site in the Brooklyn borough.Photo: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

New York City will announce requirements Wednesday for health workers in city-run hospitals and clinics to get vaccinated or weekly testing, per the New York Times.

Why it matters: Though Mayor Bill de Blasio has dragged his feet on mandating coronavirus vaccinations, the Delta variant has ushered in fear amid a third wave of new cases. The new policy is likely to cover over 10% of the 300,000 people who work for city government.

Of note: The mandate will go into effect at the beginning of August, but employees will have until Aug. 1 to apply for exemptions and Sept. 1 to get a first dose.

What they're saying: "It's all about the safety of a health care setting," Bill Neidhardt, the mayor's press secretary, told the Times.

The big picture: About 2 million adult New Yorkers have not received a single dose of any coronavirus vaccine, per the Times.

Every day, fewer than 10,000 NYC residents on average are choosing to get their first shot. Black and Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods in particular have lower vaccination rates.
The Delta variant has led case counts to jump to nearly 600 a day in the past week, more than double the daily average in late June, according to the Times.

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NYC to require vaccination or weekly testing for health workers

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