New York City vaccinations mandates are rolling into place, and on Roosevelt Island, a critical business extends the requirement. RIOC and the community in general lag behind, but that may change.
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
“The Key to NYC Pass will be a first-in-the-nation approach. It will require vaccination for workers and customers in indoor dining, in indoor fitness facilities, indoor entertainment facilities.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio, Media Availability, August 3rd, 2021
New York City vaccinations took the lead in efforts at spurring the battle against the coronavirus, especially the Delta variant.
The New York City vaccinations mandate
De Blasio said full details will be out in about two weeks. “And then, on September 13th, during that week, we’ll begin inspections and enforcement.”
The city hopes this mandate will make enforcement easier for businesses by making the rules clearer. In a bar, for example, where proof of age is required before being served alcohol, proof of vaccination will play a similar role.
The Delta variant which sent infection rates up past levels not seen since April, this week, sparked a sense of urgency.
While New York City’s vaccination rate is over 70% in some areas, it’s far below that in others. Experts believe 70% is the lowest rate that might support herd immunity.
Roosevelt Island finally reached the 70% threshold, weeks after neighboring communities passed it. Feeble support for anti-coronavirus efforts from RIOC during the Shelton J. Haynes administration certainly plays a role.
In general, the state agency controlled out of Albany, showed itself as unable to master mask mandates as it has been in controlling bicycles.
“RIOC needs to have a conversation with its employees and make better use of PSD,” a reader wrote in an email.
The Roosevelt Island Daily couldn’t agree more, but experience shows the unlikelihood of anything like that happening.
The Roosevelt Island angle…
While punchless responses from RIOC about endless violations of mask mandates on the Tram and Red Buses demonstrate a sturdy disinterest in protecting the public, at least one local business is standing tall.
Related now requires “…all employees to have at least one vaccine dose by August 31 or they will be fired.” Related manages all Southtown residential buildings, and the requirement covers everyone from executives to concierges.
The website 6sqft compiled the list of agencies and businesses stepping up on vaccinations.
New York will require all employees to be vaccinated or tested for COVID weekly, but locally, that means RIOC’s responsible. So hopes are not high.
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily
- A Week of Shifts: News, Weather, and Community Reminders for Roosevelt IslandA week of shifts in news, weather, and community reminders for Roosevelt Island, from Memorial Day weather to local stories and citywide headlines.
- Roosevelt Island Community News: Neighbor Stories, Local Events, and Civic ConnectionsStay updated on Roosevelt Island community news with neighbor stories, local events, civic history, and the ways citywide efforts connect our daily lives.
- A Week Around Roosevelt Island: Community Threads and Local NewsCatch up on a week around Roosevelt Island and nearby neighbors: from NY-7 politics and Sunnyside Yard to local governance, events, and city headlines.
- Building Community Connections on Roosevelt Island and Nearby NeighborhoodsExplore how building community connections on Roosevelt Island and nearby neighborhoods shapes everyday life, from transit shifts to civic efforts and local arts.
- Community Rhythms and Neighborhood Steadiness on Roosevelt IslandExplore community rhythms and neighborhood steadiness on Roosevelt Island, from public safety updates to art, weather, and the everyday connections that keep island life vibrant.
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