New York City will be the first major city in America to require people to show their vaccination cards. Mayor Bill De Blasio announced this Tuesday that the “Key to NYC Pass” policy will be worked through several weeks in August and September.
Key features of the announcement include:
1. Anyone who wants to continue to do indoor activities will require proof of their vaccination for Covid-19.
2. Indoor activities include indoor dining, concerts, going to the gym. Other indoor activities were not clearly stated in the press conference.
3. The policy for those who can’t be vaccinated whether for medical, religious or age restriction reasons remains unclear.
President Joe Biden recently wanted 70% of Americans to be vaccinated by July 4th. In NYC, 66% of its inhabitants are vaccinated. Mayor De Blasio is adamant in stopping the Covid-19 from spreading within his city. Last week the mayor announced that city employees will have to be vaccinated by mid-September. If not, employees would have to be subject to weekly Covid-19 testing.
Mayor De Blasio stated this when asked about possibly more policy changes.
“Right now what we want to nail is people getting vaccinated, and, very bluntly, showing that life is much better when you’re vaccinated,” he continued. “You have more freedom when you’re vaccinated, and you have a lot less, you have fewer choices, fewer opportunities if you’re not vaccinated.”
The response to the rise of the delta variant cases within the country hasn’t stopped within the states. A mask mandate has been reinstated within the San Francisco area.
In Philly, about 60% of adults are fully vaccinated, that’s around 113,300 residents.
The city is averaging 56 new cases of Covid-19 per day.
Acting Health Secretary of Pennsylvania, Alison Beam proclaimed this in regards to the state’s plan to battle Covid-19 and the delta variant.
“If you have not been vaccinated yet, now is the time to get vaccinated. And if you’ve only received one dose of the vaccine, it’s never too late to get that second dose,” Beam said. “This is very important because you need to be fully vaccinated to have maximum protection against the delta variant, which is spreading across the country.”
Mayor Jim Kenney of Philadelphia has recently stated that city employees will not be required to get vaccinated but the idea will not be ruled out.
Philly restaurants have already implemented their own mandates to show proof of vaccination. Restaurants like Cornerstone in Wayne and Martha in Kensington want proof of vaccination for visitors who want indoor dining. The urge for Pennsylvanians to be vaccinated will continue to be pushed. Will Philly adopt the same policies as NYC?
We at Classix 107.9 don’t know.
But just in case, be prepared to have that vaccination card on your person. For NYC residents that have already gotten vaccinated, can use a phone app named Excelsior Pass. It will provide digital proof of a vaccination card and recent positive/negative test results. Who knows, the vaccination card might be as important as your personal ID.
Stay safe Philly and stay tuned to further changes in Covid-19 policies within the state.
Do you think a proof of vaccination in an indoor setting is necessary?
