Mayor De Blasio Releases More Details On Vaccine Mandate For Private Sector Workers
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- With the vaccination deadline for private sector workers in the city fast approaching, Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday unveiled new guidelines for those businesses.
"This is the boldest action in the nation," de Blasio said.
Click here for more details from the mayor's office.
The mayor stood behind the city's new mandate to require the COVID-19 vaccine to go to work, holding up new guidelines being distributed to businesses ahead of the Dec. 27 deadline, CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis reported.
"I agree with it fully. I think we should be vaccinated so we can all have no masks and no restrictions, and everything can go back to normal," said Wayne Ferreira of Metropolitan Lumber in Manhattan.
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Miljan Tomic, the manager of Prela Auto Repair in Queens, said he feels it should be a choice, but still plans to comply.
"Maybe I would not like to, but on the other hand I don't want to get fined," Tomic said.
Web Extra: Where & How to Show Proof of Vaccination in NYC
The mayor said fines start at $1,000, but he expects the vast majority of businesses to comply, just as they have with other mandates.
Businesses must keep a record of employee vaccinations available for inspections, and display a certificate to show compliance.
"We'll have the Department of Health and other agencies out there again with the goal of just problem solving, educating. Unless there's unwillingness to follow the law, we think we'll be in the situation where we don't need to apply penalties at all," de Blasio said.
David Lewis is head of OperationsInc, an human resources consulting group that works with over 500 city businesses.
"Most businesses have gotten on that bandwagon, but some haven't. This is intended to push that needle even further, no pun intended, and ultimately move companies in a direction that haven't done this already," Lewis said.
"It's mean-spirited to do it around the holiday time," said Rady Peers, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.
It's a policy the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Disagrees with, pointing to the city's high adult vaccination rate.
"Trying to harass the remaining 11% is not going to solve for COVID and certainly putting people's livelihoods at stake by terminating their employment is just not the way to go," Peers said.
The mayor said he doesn't expect people to lose their jobs, instead believing this will push them to get the shot. But we'll find out when workers return after Christmas.
There are some exceptions. Workers can request reasonable accommodations for medical or religious reasons.