New York City to Mandate Vaccine Passports to Enter Restaurants, Gyms

New York City will mandate patrons show proof of vaccination prior to entering indoor establishments, including restaurants and gyms, Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) is expected to announce Tuesday.

The announcement comes one day after Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) begged private business owners to discriminate against unvaccinated patrons by denying them entry to their establishments.

New York officials are calling the program the “Key to NYC Pass,” which is expected to begin this month. According to the New York Post, “enforcement will begin in September following a public service announcement campaign, administration officials said.”

Patrons will be required to show businesses their proof of vaccination via the Excelsior pass, which New York rolled out this year, or present their Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine card to gain entry.

The Democrat mayor has hinted that more severe measures against the unvaccinated are forthcoming.

“We’ve got to shake people at this point and say, ‘Come on now.’ We tried voluntary. We could not have been more kind and compassionate. Free testing, everywhere you turn, incentives, friendly, warm embrace. The voluntary phase is over,” he said during an appearance on MSNBC last week.- READ MORE