New York City unveiled plans on Monday to require on-site employees at all private businesses, from bodegas to multinational banks, to get vaccinated — the most sweeping local mandate in the country and one that is intended to limit the spread of the new coronavirus variant this winter.
The mandate, almost certain to face legal challenges and to pose difficulties for the employers tasked with enforcing it, will apply to about 184,000 businesses. It is set to take effect on Dec. 27, just days before Mayor Bill de Blasio leaves office.
Mr. de Blasio described his action as a “pre-emptive strike” designed to stall another wave of virus cases amid rising concerns about the Omicron variant.
“This is the biggest crisis not only of our time, but in the history of New York City,” Mr. de Blasio said at a news conference. “We cannot let Covid back in the door again.”
New York City, once the epicenter of the pandemic, has taken an aggressive stance on mandates and currently requires vaccines for city workers and for employees and customers ages 12 and older at indoor restaurants, entertainment venues and gyms. Mr. de Blasio also announced plans to tighten those rules by requiring one dose of the vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 and two doses for most people ages 12 and up.
The next mayor, Eric Adams, who takes office on Jan. 1, will be responsible for enforcing the policy and has not said whether he supports a vaccine requirement for private employers, though he has been broadly ...
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