Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to announce Tuesday that New York City will require proof of vaccination for indoor activities including restaurant dining, fitness and performances.
The policy, which is similar to those issued in France and Italy last month, is believed to be the first of its kind in the United States, the New York Times reports.
Though the program will start later this month, enforcement will begin in mid-September after a transitional period.
Indeed, approximately 66 percent of adults in New York City are fully vaccinated, though this move comes as an attempt to increase that number.
As part of the new program, the Big Apple will boast a health pass called the “Key to NYC Pass,” which will provide proof of vaccination required for workers and customers at indoor dining, gyms, entertainment and performances.
This sounds an awful lot like a vaccine passport.
“We think it is so important to make clear that if you are vaccinated, you get to benefit in all sorts of ways,” de Blasio said Monday. “You get to live a better life. Besides your health in general, you get to participate in many, many things. And if you’re unvaccinated, [there] are going to be fewer and fewer things that you’re able to do.”
