NYC Enacts New Vaccine Mandate for Childcare Employees

by Sara Marcus – Hamodia

New York City will require the more than 100,000 employees of childcare and early intervention programs be vaccinated by December 20, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced at his press conference on Monday.

“This is going to be important for the employees and their own health, obviously, but it’s also important for protecting the health of the kids who are in these childcare programs,” the mayor said, saying officials were building on the mandate for public school employees, which he described as a successful measure that has prevented outbreaks among students, employees, and their families.

The new mandate comes as the city and the world is scrambling to prepare for the newly-discovered Omicron variant out of South Africa. Though little information is known about the Omicron, including if its more infectious or more dangerous, Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi issued a Commissioner’s Advisory to encourage people to wear masks indoors and in public settings like grocery stores or offices. Masks remain mandatory on public transit, healthcare settings and schools.

“We do anticipate detecting Omicron in New York in the coming days, based on what we know about its global spread,” Chokshi said. “A lot is still unknown about Omicron because it’s so early, but studies are underway and we will know more about the variant in the coming weeks.”

The vaccination rate in New York City is 88% for adults and 81% for 12-to-17-year-olds.