New York City To Become First In The US To Implement Vaccine Passports For Indoor Dining, Fitness

Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio reportedly plans to announce Tuesday the city will begin requiring proof of vaccination at certain indoor businesses like restaurants, gyms and performance venues.

The mandate will go into effect later in August and will also apply to employees of said indoor businesses, a city official told The New York Times. With the announcement, New York City will become the first city in the United States to implement a government-mandated vaccine passport.

De Blasio has taken other measures in recent weeks to try and increase the city’s vaccination rate, including mandating proof of vaccination or weekly testing for city employees and a $100 payment to members of the public who get the jabs. Roughly two-thirds of adults in the city are currently vaccinated.

The outgoing mayor stopped short of reinstituting an indoor mask mandate Monday when he announced a new “recommendation” to wear them. Other cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., have reimplemented mask mandates since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed course last week on its mask guidance for vaccinated individuals.