Mayors take action to stop spread: NYC to require proof of vaxx, Maui wants to continue virtual learning

Two mayors are trying to curb the spread of COVID-19 in their cities. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday the city will soon require proof of COVID-19 vaccinations for indoor activities, and Maui Mayor Michael Victorino asked Hawaii state officials to postpone the return of in-person learning and continue virtual learning as classes begin Tuesday.

New York City’s proof of vaccine requirement, which Mayor de Blasio calls “the Key to NYC Pass”, applies to indoor dining, gyms and indoor entertainment venues. “If you’re vaccinated, all that’s going to open up to you. You’ll have the key. You can open the door,” de Blasio said. “But if you’re unvaccinated, unfortunately, you will not be able to participate in many things. That’s the point we’re trying to get across.”

The Key to NYC pass will take effect Aug. 16. “We’ve been working with the business community, getting input, we’re going to do more over the next few weeks,” de Blasio said. “We’ll then spend most of a month educating people, going out to businesses, receiving calls from businesses, answering questions and concerns, making sure everyone understands the new approach. And then on September 13th, during that week, we’ll begin inspections and enforcement.”

With this announcement, New York City becomes the first city in the United States to impose such restrictions.

While thousands of mile away, Mayor Victorino’s request to state officials comes as cases are on the rise in Hawaii. According to a Maui county news release, the state’s COVID positivity rate has climbed 163 percent over the past two weeks.

“Even though our vaccination rate in Hawaii is fairly good compared to other states, the Neighbor Islands have limited hospitals and critical care facilities,” Victorino said. “Our health care facilities are already being challenged by the recent surge of infections, so I believe it is wiser to err on the side of caution.”

Victorino said for now, he only wants in-person learning to be paused for a few weeks “so we can have a better indication of how this variant will impact our medical facilities.”

“Distance learning is not new for Hawaii’s students and teachers, and while it’s not ideal, it’s preferable to a potential surge in Delta pediatric cases,” Victorino said.