New York City is now giving people money to get the coronavirus vaccine. The city has thrown all kinds of incentives at people to try and convince more to get vaccinated but this one is perhaps the most attractive one yet. Mayor de Blasio says new York City residents and its employees will get 100 dollars in a pre-loaded debit card when they get their first shot at a city run vaccine site starting Friday.
"There are a huge number of New Yorkers open to vaccination, just haven't quite gotten there. I think when someone says here is one hundred dollars for you, that's going to make a big impact."
The city has administered close to 10 million coronavirus vaccine doses so far but the mayor is making a huge push to get more people vaccinated with daily coronavirus case numbers continuing to rise.
The CDC is now encouraging indoor mask use for even the fully vaccinated in areas with high coronavirus infection rates but New York City is holding off on implementing this guidance. The CDC considers New York City an area of substantial transmission, meaning the new indoor mask guidance applies to the Big Apple. The mayor and his Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi are not yet ready to require all to wear masks indoors again.
"We do have to carefully review not just the guidance itself but also the science that underpins it and we will do that carefully and apply it in context of New York City"
Governor Cuomo says he wants local governments in the areas that qualify to seriously consider The CDC's stricter mask recommendation.
Cuomo is putting more pressure on state workers to get vaccinated against coronavirus. The governor says all state employees must get the vaccine by Labor Day or take part in weekly testing. He says all patient facing hospital workers at state run hospitals must get the vaccine by Labor Day. They don't have a testing option. Meanwhile, Cuomo is encouraging all state employers to bring back their employees to the office by Labor Day.