NYC Breezes Past 10.5M COVID Vaccine Doses Into Arms

New York City NY

24 August, 2021

11:57 AM

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NEW YORK CITY — More than 10.5 million coronavirus vaccine doses have gone into arms in New York City. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the milestone Tuesday as he highlighted a spate of increasingly ambitious steps the city recently took to boost vaccinations as the delta variant spreads. The city's mandate-or-test requirement for city workers, $100 incentive for vaccine doses, indoor proof of vaccination requirement and, most recently, no-opt-out rule for public school staff all have been emulated nationwide, de Blasio said. "Every step we take has had a national impact," he said. Vaccinations in the city were once in a steady decline — a major concern for health officials because inoculation rates were still too low to fight the delta variant. But de Blasio's heightened vaccination efforts appear to have reversed the trend. The city distributed more than 100,000 shots in two straight weeks and surpassed 75 percent of all adults who received at least one dose. Much of that is likely because of strict mandates, particularly the proof of vaccination requirement for indoor dining, entertainment and gyms that took effect last week. Incentives, however, can't be discounted in the vaccination surge. De Blasio said more than 100,000 New Yorkers so far have received a $100 incentive for getting their first dose of vaccine. New Yorkers can schedule vaccinations or find locations for shots here.