NYC Mayor Adams Exempts Athletes, Performers from COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced that athletes and performers are officially exempt from the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Indeed, the city’s vaccine mandate has seriously affected New York City sports teams. As previously reported by Human Events News, in October, Brooklyn Nets star player Kyrie Irving was banned from participating in any team activities over his vaccine refusal. Irving was not permitted to play in any games in New York City, but was able to watch his team play from a paid seat. He made his debut in January.

The mandate would have also blocked some New York Yankees and Mets baseball players from playing at the start of the season.

“I’m going to make some tough choices. People are not going to agree with some of them,” Adams said at Citi Field. “I must move this city forward.”

In signing Executive Order 62, Adams is expanding the performer exemption to the private employer vaccine mandates, putting New York City-based performers and athletes on an equal ground as those based outside the city.