New York City is expected to announce that proof of coronavirus vaccination will be required to allow people to access indoor activities including restaurants and gyms.
Mayor Bill de Blasio revealed on Tuesday that the city will require proof of vaccination in a policy that is a first of its kind in the US.
“New York City is going to lead the world in creating safe, vaccinated public spaces,” Mr de Blasio’s press secretary Bill Neidhardt said in a post on Twitter.
The new programme will include proof of vaccine verification dubbed the “Key to NYC Pass” and will apply to indoor dining, gyms, entertainment and performances.
Enforcement of the pass will begin in September after an awareness campaign. New York State already offers its “Excelsior Pass” for residents to verify proof of vaccination.
Residents will be required to show either the Key to NYC Pass, the Excelsior Pass or the Center for Disease Control’s paper vaccine card to access indoor activities.
More than 63 per cent of New Yorkers have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccination while over 57 per cent are fully vaccinated.
The announcement comes amid a rise in cases in the city thought to be due to the more transmissible Delta variant of the novel virus.
On Monday, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a vaccine mandate for employees of New York’s MTA and Port Authority or the option of weekly coronavirus testing, CNBC reported.
“I don’t believe a mask policy is going to be enough,” Mr Cuomo said at the press conference. “I think we’re going to have to talk about a vaccination policy.”