New York City will require all private employers to mandate their workers get vaccinated against COVID-19 by December 27, with no testing option as an alternative. It’s the most aggressive vaccine mandate yet by any state or big city in the U.S. Mayor Bill de Blasio said the mandate could help prevent a winter surge of new infections. 

Mayor Bill de Blasio: “I describe the actions we’re taking today as a preemptive strike — get ahead of this problem before it deepens, and use the thing that works: vaccination.”

Nearly 90% of New York City adult residents have at least one vaccine dose — a higher rate than the national average. This comes as COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to rise rapidly nationwide. The official U.S. death toll from the pandemic is now on pace to pass 800,000 by the end of the year.