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
- Flushing Spa Murder: Man Charged After Woman Found Stabbed to DeathFlushing spa murder investigation leads to a murder charge against a 54-year-old man after a woman was found fatally stabbed in a Queens storefront.
- Sunday’s blotter: four medical calls, three non-criminal investigationsRIOC’s Nov. 8 PSD blotter lists 19 incidents, including four aided calls (two hospital transports) and three Investigation Non-Criminal entries at 465, 580 and 546 Main Street.
- NYC Code Blue Homeless Outreach Gets $25 Million for WinterNYC Code Blue homeless outreach receives $25 million for winter assistance. Here’s what the city has announced and what remains unclear about the funding.
- Saturday’s public safety blotter: six medical calls, gas leakRIOC’s Nov. 7 PSD blotter lists 20 incidents, including six medical calls, a gas leak at 540 Main Street, and a harassment report at 888 Main Street.
- Long Island City Housing Lottery Opens for 12 Apartments at $3,059A Long Island City housing lottery opens for 12 apartments at 36-45 31st Street, with reported rents of $3,059. Here’s what applicants need to know.
Three Newspapers and a Broken Water Fountain
In 2018, Roosevelt Island had three local newspapers and no working drinking fountains. Seven years later, one paper had disappeared, one founder was leaving the country and the word “your” was about to receive a much clearer ending.
