As New York Cities struggles to recover economically from the lingering effects of months of some of the strictest lockdowns in the country, Mayor Bill de Blasio has decided that cutting off businesses from the 40% of New Yorkers that are unvaccinated is a brilliant idea.
De Blasio just announced the “Key to NYC Pass” initiative, the first in the nation that will require vaccinations for workers and customers in indoor dining, fitness, and entertainment settings. Those who can’t provide proof of vaccinated will be denied entry.
“This is going to be a requirement,” stated De Blasio. “The only way to patronize these establishments indoors will be if you’re vaccinated.” Just days ago de Blasio said regarding vaccinations, “the voluntary phase is over,” and now he’s effectively banning the unvaccinated from public life.
New Yorkers will need at least one vaccine dose before being able to once again access public life. They can show proof through the state’s “Excelsior Pass” or the CDC’s paper vaccine card.
As is the case with most of de Blasio’s policies, it’s tough to understand the reasoning here. What exactly do the vaccinated have to fear from the unvaccinated if they’re immune (or will only suffer minor symptoms in the event of a breakthrough infection)?
One factor that no one seems to be considering when it comes to vaccine mandates is the issue of legal liability. Even if the odds of a vaccine side effect were one in a million, there are still going to be people who suffer them, and it’s unclear if they have any legal recourse against the state in that case.
This edict comes less than 24-hours after Gov. Cuomo encouraged private businesses to enact a vaccine only admissions policy. It’s a bizarre sight to see in the “everything is racist” era of leftism, as the majority of the unvaccinated by racial demographic, and thus those who would be denied service, are Black and Hispanic.
There are countless diseases that have a far higher death rate than COVID-19, yet no one on the left is hysterical about barring people not vaccinated against those diseases from public life. Then again, by pointing out that obvious hypocrisy, I don’t want to give them any ideas…
Matt Palumbo is the author of Dumb and Dumber: How Cuomo and de Blasio Ruined New York, Debunk This: Shattering Liberal Lies, and Spygate
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