NEW YORK: From multinational banks to corner grocery stores, all private employers in New York City will have to require their workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the mayor announced Monday, imposing one of the most aggressive vaccine mandates in the US.
The move by Mayor Bill de Blasio comes as cases are climbing again in the country and the worrisome but little-understood omicron variant is gaining a toehold in New York and elsewhere around the nation.
"We in New York City have decided to use a preemptive strike to really do something bold to stop the further growth of COVID and the dangers it's causing to all of us," he said.
De Blasio, a Democrat with just weeks left in office as leader of the nation's largest city, said the mandate will take effect Dec. 27, with in-person workers needing to provide proof they have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
And they will not be allowed to get out of the requirement by agreeing to regular COVID-19 testing instead.
The measure will apply to roughly 184,000 businesses not covered by previous vaccine mandates, ranging from big corporations to mom-and-pop businesses in the city of 8.8 million people, according to a spokesperson for the mayor.
The city's private-sector workforce is 3.7 million.
De Blasio said the move is aimed at staving off a spike of infections amid holiday gatherings and as cold weather drives more people indoors, where the virus can spread more easily.
Vaccine rules across states and cities vary widely, with some states resisting any mandates and others requiring the shots for government employees or certain sectors that run a particularly high risk, such as health care workers.
But no state has announced a broad private-sector mandate as New York City has, according to data compiled by the nonpartisan National Academy for State Health Policy.
President Joe Biden sought to impose a less far-reaching mandate nationally, requiring employees of businesses with 100 or more workers to either get vaccinated or undergo regular testing.
But federal courts have blocked that plan for now ahead of the Jan.4 deadline.
De Blasio said he expects his mandate to survive any legal challenges.
Workers will be able to ask for religious or medical exemptions.
The mayor also announced that anyone 12 or older who wants to dine indoors at a restaurant, go to a gym or see a show will have to produce proof of having received two shots of the vaccine, up from the current requirement of one dose.
In addition, children ages 5 to 11 will have to show proof of at least one shot, de Blasio said.
De Blasio said he will release more details next week about how the mandate will be enforced.
About 5.9 million adults in New York City have gotten at least a first dose, out of 7 million people age 18 and up.
That translates to 84%.
About 5.8 million New Yorkers of all ages are fully vaccinated.
Cases of the omicron variant have been reported in about one-third of the states, but scientists cannot say for certain yet whether it is more dangerous than previous versions.
The delta variant still accounts for practically all infections in the U.S., and a rise in cases in recent weeks has swamped hospitals, especially in the Midwest and New England.
Health experts have strongly urged people to get their shots and a booster, saying they believe the vaccine will still offer protection against the new form of the virus.
"Vaccination is the central weapon in this war against COVID. It's the one thing that has worked every single time across the board," de Blasio said at a virtual news conference.
"A lot of folks to me in the private sector have said to me they believe in vaccination, but they're not quite sure how they can do it themselves," he continued.
"Well, we're going to do it."
Vaccinations are already required in New York City for hospital and nursing home workers and for city employees, including teachers, police officers and firefighters.
A vaccination mandate for employees of private and religious schools was announced last week.
Some private-sector employees, including those at restaurants, gyms, theaters and other entertainment sites, were already required to be vaccinated under rules issued earlier by the mayor.
De Blasio, who leaves office at the end of the month and has indicated he may seek the nomination for governor of New York next year, has sought to portray himself as a national leader in the fight against COVID-19.
His other vaccine mandates have largely survived legal challenges, and he has credited the policy with raising vaccination rates among the reluctant.
The new mandate takes effect days before de Blasio leaves office and Democrat Eric Adams is due to be sworn in.
Evan Thies, a spokesman for Adams, said in a statement that the mayor-elect "will evaluate this mandate and other COVID strategies when he is in office and make determinations based on science, efficacy and the advice of health professionals."
The Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, which includes some 30,000 businesses big and small, said it supports the tightened measures.
But other industry groups said the plan would add to the strain on businesses still struggling to recover from the pandemic and find enough employees.
Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, a leading business group, said it is unclear who will enforce the mandate and whether it is even legal.
"It is hard to imagine that the mayor can do what the president is being challenged to accomplish," Wylde said.
A Thai health official said Monday that the country's first suspected case of the new omicron variant had been detected but authorities would withhold confirmation ahead of further test results.
Head of the Department of Medical Sciences, Supakit Sirilak, said at a daily press briefing that the "likely" case of the omicron variant had been identified in an American businessman who entered Thailand from Spain.
"The analysis result confirms a 99.92% chance of it being the omicron variant. The ministry and private laboratories are now running parallel tests and we will know the result today. Initially, it is likely to be the first omicron case of Thailand," Supakit said at the briefing.
The US national tested positive for the coronavirus on Dec.1 after arriving in Thailand.
Supakit said the test result indicated the omicron strain of the COVID-19 virus, but added that some traits of the variant hadn't been detected in the test result.
A second test on Dec.3 with a new sample from the visitor showed the same result.
Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said the 35- year-old American man had resided in Spain for one year before traveling to Thailand.
Currently, he has no symptoms but is being kept at a hospital.
Authorities said they have tested several people who came into contact with the suspected case, but so far none have come back positive.
Thailand's Ministry of Public Health on Monday reported 4,000 new cases of the coronavirus, with 22 deaths.
Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha had been informed of the case.
Prayuth has previously said he foresaw no changes in plans to keep opening up the country, though he urged vigilance against the new strain of coronavirus and said all Thais should get vaccinated.
Thailand last month allowed many country's nationals to enter if vaccinated and tested, in a bid to restore the lucrative tourism industry.
The country was shut to most foreign visitors in April last year.
Thailand recently barred visitors from eight African nations because of the new omicron threat.
If confirmed, Thailand would be the 47th country to report the case of the new variant.
Japan confirmed on Monday its third case of the new omicron variant, a traveller entering from Italy, as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vowed to take strict measures based on a worst-case scenario of a possible resurgence of infections.
Japan has seen a sharp drop in daily COVID-19 cases since September.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that the third confirmed case of the omicron strain is a man in his 30s who tested positive upon arrival from Italy at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Dec.1 and has since been isolated.
Kishida said in a policy speech before Parliament that he is taking no risks after previous criticisms that Japan was too relaxed in its anti-virus measures.
Authorities already confirmed two cases of the omicron variant in travellers who arrived to Japan in late November, leading Kishida's government to ask international airlines to stop taking new bookings, before quickly withdrawing the request after facing massive criticisms for going too far.
Japan has virtually banned all foreign entrants as an emergency precaution.
Also Monday, Japan's trade and industry ministry announced that a U. N. nuclear agency team's planned visit to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power in mid-December has been postponed until next year due to the new variant concerns.
The team was to assess preparations ahead of a 2023 release of treated radioactive water from the wrecked plant into the sea.
The discharge plan has faced fierce local opposition as well as criticism from Japan's neighbours, including China and South Korea.
Japan has requested the International Atomic Energy Agency's assistance to ensure the discharge meets safety standards and to gain the understanding of the international community.
A massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 severely damaged three reactors at the Fukushima plant, causing contaminated cooling water to leak.
The plant's operator says tanks storing the water will be full late next year.
Japanese officials say the disposal of the water is required for the plant cleanup.
High school seniors returned to their classrooms in Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, on Monday for the first time in more than six months as the city eases coronavirus restrictions.
Only 50 per cent of normal school attendance will be allowed to reduce the risk of infections, so students will spend alternate days attending classes in person and online, an announcement by the capital city authority said.
I'm very happy and excited to go back to school after such a long time.
This is my last year at school and I cherish the time spent with my teachers and my friends at school, rather than through the computer screen at home, said Han Binh Huy, a 12th grader at Tran Nhan Tong high school.
Only seniors were allowed to return because they are preparing for a critical national exam in June which determines whether they can enter universities.
"We are having a very serious exam ahead and being able to go to school will help me a lot. The teachers will be there with us directly so our learning will be more efficient," said Huy's classmate, Nguyen Duc Quang.
"I hope the pandemic will soon be under control and we will be fully vaccinated so we can focus on learning and preparing for the exam," Quang said.
Students must wear masks and have their temperatures taken, and are not allowed to leave their classrooms until the school day ends.
The classes are also livestreamed for students who are under quarantine or wish to stay home.
"The school has prepared protective measures for the health safety of our students. Medical equipment, automatic thermal scanners and hand sanitisers are available in all classrooms. We also update the students and their parents regularly with new regulations and safety protocols," said head of school Vu Thi Hau.
Hanoi is one of a few cities that are allowing a return to classrooms.
Vietnam shut schools and other educational establishments in May when the virus surged, leading to the country's worst outbreak.
Since then, the virus, fuelled by the delta variant, has infected 1.3 million people and killed over 26,000.
The surge forced more than half the country into complete lockdown.
Restrictions began to be eased in October when infection rates dropped and more people were vaccinated.
Hanoi, a city of 8 million, is now seeing a slight rise in COVID-19 cases due to the relaxed restrictions.
Last month, the city started to vaccinate young people between the ages of 12 and 17 in preparation for the reopening of schools.
The students are scheduled to receive second shots in December.
Following a slow start, Vietnam is speeding up its vaccination program.
According to the health ministry, 54 million of its 98 million population have been fully vaccinated.
The country is planning to administer booster shots later this month for front-line workers and senior citizens.