Coronavirus vaccine mandatory for all private sector employees in New York State starting December 27. This was announced by the outgoing mayor of the Big Apple, Bill de Blasio, who on January 1 will pass the baton to his successor, former policeman Eric Adams. “All employees of the private sector in New York City will be subject to the vaccination obligation from December 27,” he said in an interview with MSNBC.
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De Blasio also announced tougher vaccine rules for access to indoor dining, entertainment and fitness. Until now, at least one dose of the vaccine was required, but by December 27 it will be necessary to have completed the vaccination process. Even children between the ages of 5 and 11 will need to have received at least one dose of the vaccine in order to enter restaurants, de Blasio said.
Fauci: “Omicron, first encouraging reports”
U.S. health officials say that while the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is rapidly spreading across the country, early indications suggest it may be less dangerous than the delta, which continues to lead a wave of hospitalizations. Chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, Anthony Fauci, told the State of the Union on CNN that scientists need more information before drawing conclusions about the severity of the Omicron. Reports from South Africa, however, where Omicron has emerged and is becoming the dominant strain, suggest that hospitalization rates have not increased alarmingly. Omicron was detected on Sunday in about a third of the US states. Fauci said the Biden administration is considering lifting travel restrictions on non-US travelers entering the US from several African countries.