Cuomo, a high-profile Democrat whose handling of the pandemic has been heavily criticized, asserted that declining to serve unvaccinated people is a wise business decision as he argued that customers want to dine and shop in safe environments.
"You can admit vaccinated-only people into your establishment," Cuomo stressed during a briefing Wednesday. "I can argue that it is a smart business practice, because I want to go to a safe restaurant, and I want to go to a safe theater, and I want to go to a safe bar."
Cuomo also argued that restrictions could encourage more people to be vaccinated.
"I also think it provides a real incentive for people to get the vaccine," Cuomo went on to note.
The governor pointed to other New York businesses that have reopened only for vaccinated people, such as Radio City Music Hall and professional sports teams.
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"New York pioneered this," Cuomo declared, requiring vaccinations upon entrance.
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A number of Republican-led states, including Florida and Texas, have prohibited businesses and government agencies from requiring proof of vaccination for staff and patrons.
Cuomo's recommendation follows a major announcement from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday in which the agency recommended that even vaccinated people should wear masks indoors in regions seeing increased infections. Officials cited the spread of the COVID-19's more infectious delta variant.
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While 75% of adults in New York have been vaccinated, there is a significant increase in positive COVD-19 cases from the delta variant, according to the governor.
Authorities across the nation have been responding to spikes in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, with some localities, such as Los Angeles County, announcing masking requirements that preceded even the CDC's updated guidance. Cities such as Chicago and Atlanta have also announced mask mandates for school children and staff for the fall term in the last week.
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On Wednesday, Cuomo also announced that New York will require state employees and healthcare workers at state hospitals to be vaccinated. The mandate is expected to go into effect on Labor Day weekend, Cuomo announced.
The requirement mirrors the vaccine and testing mandate that the federal government is planning for its workers. Cuomo said he is in talks with union leaders about implementing the new requirement.
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Some congressional Republicans have criticized the new recommendations and mandates, especially the CDC's guidance for masking among the vaccinated, saying they undermine trust in the vaccine's efficacy and are not based on scientific evidence.
"The CDC's updated guidance deeply undermines vaccine confidence," Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington argued on Tuesday. "Mask mandates for more command and control will not build trust — only resentment."
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