Hundreds of New Yorkers gathered outside City Hall in Manhattan on Wednesday to protest Covid-19 vaccine mandates.
Protesters argued that they should have the option to be regularly tested for the virus instead of being forced to get vaccinated and otherwise lose their jobs.
In light of the highly-contagious Delta variant, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced earlier this week that businesses have a grace period until September 13 to begin implementing vaccine checkpoints before facing $1,000 fines, but many bars and restaurants are already demanding proof of vaccination to enter.
He said there will be no option of a weekly test in place of a vaccine.
Thousands of New York employees gathered outside City Hall in Manhattan on Wednesday to protest Covid-19 vaccine mandates
Protesters argued that they should have the option to be regularly tested for the virus instead of being forced to get vaccinated and otherwise lose their jobs
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced earlier this week that businesses have a grace period until September 13 to begin implementing vaccine checkpoints before facing $1,000 fines, but many bars and restaurants are already demanding proof of vaccination to enter
Protest organizer Michael Kane (not pictured) called the recently-imposed mandates 'authoritarianism'
Protest organizer Michael Kane told Pix 11 the rally was about choice. He would not tell the local news station if he was vaccinated but called the recently-imposed mandates 'authoritarianism'.
In his announcement de Blasio also said that every staff member at an NYC public school must receive at least one dose of the vaccine by September 27.
De Blasio said he believes a vaccine mandate for all adults that work with children is the right thing for the city.
The mayor's statement came just 24 hours after de Blasio broke from Governor Andrew Cuomo and said he would not bring back an indoor mask mandate in the city.
De Blasio said last week: 'If you want to participate in our society fully, you've got to get vaccinated. It's time.'
Businesses, unions and critics of the mandates were immediately angered, citing personal freedom arguments.
De Blasio said there will be no option of a weekly test in place of a vaccine and businesses, unions and critics of the mandates were immediately angered
Protestors cited personal freedom arguments as to why the mandates should not go into effect
De Blasio also said that every staff member at an NYC public school must receive at least one dose of the vaccine by September 27 because he believes a vaccine mandate for all adults that work with children is the right thing for the city
Thousands gathered outside of Manhattan's City Hall because the city's mask mandate now requires proof of vaccination for people attending indoor venues such as restaurants, gyms and shows, as the city tries to get back on its feet
In parts of the city where majority of people are resisting the vaccine, business owners are worried the mandates will be a fatal blow after the virus prevented them from running at full capacity for months last year.
It will fall largely on businesses to enforce the policy and de Blasio claimed it wouldn't be too different from a host guiding someone to a table or a box office clerk selling a ticket.
The Big Apple now requires proof of vaccination for people attending indoor venues such as restaurants, gyms and shows, as the city tries to get back on its feet.
However, the vaccine mandates are fraught with complications as restaurant servers, bartenders and ticket agents at already understaffed businesses now must enforce the vaccination rules.
The mandates are fraught with complications as restaurant servers, bartenders and ticket agents at already understaffed businesses now must enforce the vaccination rules
The new mask mandate took effect last week as new Covid cases soar in the city and across the nation
De Blasio said the vaccination mandate aims to persuade more people to get vaccinated with the threat of missing out on city amenities
Mindful that another economic shutdown could be disastrous, some restaurant and bar owners are embracing the the mandates as a way to control the virus and keep their doors open.
The order took effect last week as new Covid cases soar in the city and across the nation. The vaccination mandate aims to persuade more people to get vaccinated with the threat of missing out on city amenities.
'We do not want to go back to restrictions,' de Blasio said at a virtual news conference last week. 'The key to our progress is vaccination.'
In New York - a city of more than eight million inhabitants - 75.6 per cent of adults have received at least one dose of vaccine, according to official figures.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday that every department of education employee must receive at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine by September 27, as the city escalates attempts to slow the spread of the hyper-contagious Delta variant
About 66 per cent of adults in New York City are fully vaccinated, with another 5.6 per cent partially vaccinated, according to official data.
Outgoing Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has often clashed with de Blasio on handling the coronavirus, indicated in his pre-recorded farewell address Monday that he thinks all teachers should be vaccinated.
Just 63 per cent of education staff are vaccinated so far. When asked if the mandate may lead to more teachers resigning or retiring, the mayor and schools chancellor said they doubt there will be a teacher shortage amid the vaccine mandate.
City data show that only 28 per cent of black NYC residents between the ages of 18 and 44 are fully vaccinated, compared to 49 per cent of Hispanics, 52 per cent of whites, and 82 per cent of Asians in the same age group.
The protests come after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fully approved the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine, which is expected to trigger a slew of new vaccine-related mandates around the country.
At least 63 per cent of New Yorkers have had at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine
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