New York | October 30, 2021
NYC: 40 Percent of Inspected Businesses Noncompliant With Vaccine Pass Mandate
New York | October 30, 2021
Approximately two in five New York City restaurants, gyms, and entertainment venues weren’t fully abiding by the city’s COVID-19 vaccination pass mandate when first inspected.
The city managed to inspect nearly two-thirds of the estimated 31,000 businesses that are required to ask their employees and customers for proof of vaccination. Some 8,000 were issued a warning for noncompliance. Of those, more than 3,300 for infractions that would have led to violations which could be penalized with a fine of $1,000 for the first and going up to $5,000 for the third. Upon second inspection at least two weeks later, only 21 establishments were issued violations, according to Jeff Dupee, City Hall’s senior adviser managing the mandate.
Though the mandate allows fines for the first violation, the city has been issuing warnings first “as a matter of policy,” Dupee said, testifying to the City Council’s small business committee on Oct. 29…. (Excerpt from the Epoch Times)
New York | October 15, 2021
Judge Temporarily Stops New York from Enforcing COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Against Health Care Workers with Religious Exemptions
New York | October 15, 2021
A federal judge on Tuesday has agreed to temporarily bar New York from enforcing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate against health care professionals who hold religious objections. The state must allow employers to grant these workers religious exemptions while a lawsuit is pending.
In the opinion (PDF), the judge wrote:
“The question presented by this case is not whether plaintiffs and other individuals are entitled to a religious exemption from the State’s workplace vaccination requirement. Instead, the question is whether the State’s summary imposition of § 2.61 conflicts with plaintiffs’ and other individuals’ federally protected right to seek a religious accommodation from their individual employers…The answer to this question is clearly yes.”… (Excerpts from Black Community News)
New York | October 13, 2021
Vaccine Mandate Madness
New York | October 13, 2021
President Biden’s excessive executive action mandating vaccines is causing an equally excessive reaction among some Republicans. See Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s order Monday banning vaccine mandates by private employers. This political vaccine jujitsu is causing real harm to Americans and U.S. social harmony. Vaccines have saved tens of thousands of American lives. Most recognize that the benefits outweigh the risks, and the spread of the Delta variant propelled millions more to get vaccinated this summer. About 78% of American adults and 95% over age 65 have received at least one dose. But some are still reluctant to get the jab for religious, medical or other reasons and don’t think they should have to. Individual liberty eroded during the pandemic, but it is still ingrained in American law and culture. With vaccines widely available, many Americans want to return to their pre-pandemic lives with minimal government interference. Yet even as the U.S. was turning the corner on Delta, President Biden issued his sweeping vaccine diktats, which he no doubt hoped would boost his flagging public support. Polls show that vaccine mandates are popular with most Americans. But Mr. Biden’s mandate has hardened political opposition to vaccines and turned them into another accelerant for polarization… Excerpts from Wall Street Journal/Editorial Board
New York | October 1, 2021
NYC Restauranteurs: Business Down 40 to 60 Percent Due to Vaccine Mandate
New York | October 1, 2021
New York City restauranteurs are complaining that their business has been slashed severely by the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which requires people 12 and older to show vaccination proof for indoor dining, indoor fitness, and indoor entertainment.
Pre-pandemic, O’Donoghue’s Pub and Restaurant was a successful business that has been open for 10 years in Times Square, Manhattan.
Fergal Burke, the owner of O’Donoghue’s noticed that his business has seen “a massive drop,” since the vaccine mandate came into effect.
“We don’t have the money here to survive without the help of our landlord, [who] has been very supportive and has been giving us breaks on the rent, but without our landlord, we would not be in business,” Burke told The Epoch Times.
He said that he needed to hire another person to be at the door checking for vaccination proof, which increased his expenses…. (Excerpts from the Epoch Times)
District of Columbia, New York | September 30, 2021
The pandemic taught us authoritarianism is very popular
District of Columbia, New York | September 30, 2021
New York | September 28, 2021
Department of Education Employees File Lawsuit Against NYC Mayor Over Vaccine Mandate
New York | September 28, 2021
Employees of NYC’s Department of Education (DOE) from various races, cultures, and social classes filed as 10 plaintiffs against New York Mayor Bill de Blasio in federal court over his vaccination mandate.
The lawsuit is the third one filed against the vaccine mandates enforced by de Blasio earlier this month on NYC educators.
The members of the multi-cultural plaintiffs have ethnic backgrounds from China, Nigeria, Colombia, Ecuador, and Italy. Their religious beliefs are also varied.
“Despite these diverse and varied backgrounds, all plaintiff’s share one thing in common; they firmly believe their rights to a religious and/or medical exemption to vaccination have been trampled on by a fraudulent NYC DOE process,” reads a statement from Teachers for Choice, an organization against forced medical mandates…. (Excerpts from the Epoch Times)