One Month In, Mayor de Blasio Surveys the Impact of the Key to NYC Vaccination Mandate

St. Vincent at Radio City Music Hall on October 11; the venue was among the first to permit entry exclusively to vaccinated ticket holders and has been the target of anti-vax protests (photograph by Chris Ofner)

The vaccination rate in New York City has increased nine percent in the month since enforcement began in the Key to NYC vaccine mandate, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced at the beginning of his media advisory on March 13. Vaccination among New Yorkers in the 18-34 age group increased 13 percent in that time period. Local businesses have been compliant, with city inspectors issuing only 15 violations in more than 31,000 inspections.

"Today is the one-month anniversary of the Key to NYC policy going into full effect," de Blasio said at the beginning of his media advisory. "The Key to NYC is based on a simple concept, vaccines are the answer. Vaccination unlocks our recovery, makes everything else possible. We're seeing it before our very eyes as more and more comes back in our city. So, Key to NYC allowed us to move forward."

Bitch performed at SummerStage in Central Park on September 21 at a guest of Indigo Girls; the venue does not fall under the Key to NYC because it is outdoors but nevertheless required proof of vaccination for entry

Dead Sarah at the Bowery Ballroom on October 1; security on the sidewalk ask to see vaccination cards for admission inside the venue

The mayor's office implemented the Key to NYC program on August 16 and enforced it on September 13. The emergency executive order mandates that all employees and patrons of indoor dining, entertainment and fitness facilities in New York City must show proof of at least one COVID vaccination for entry. Outdoor facility are excluded from the program. The policy was the first such program in the nation.

"We knew that to do this right we had to work with the businesses, the small businesses, the mom-and-pop restaurants, all the folks out there who were going to be a part of this," de Blasio said. "We want it to work for them, so we sent out teams of city officials and experts to go out and talk to people, work it through at the grassroots. They canvassed over 50,000 businesses, talking through how to do this the right way."

Counting Crows at the Hammerstein Ballroom on October 5; security checked for vaccination cards and strapped wristbands onto ticketholders prior to entry

Frank Turner opened for Counting Crows at the Hammerstein Ballroom

An outreach by the city's Small Business Services department helped small businesses, answered questions, and assisted thousands of businesses that had concerns, according to the mayor, allowing the launch of Key to NYC to proceed smoothly. The mayor's office empowered 13 municipal agencies to issue violations for non-compliance, with escalating fines beginning at $1,000. Local sources report that inspectors gave preliminary warning to 6,760 businesses, with few actually penalties to date. The city will not identify the violators.

"So far there's been over 31,000 inspections all across New York City to make sure the Key to NYC approach was working," continued the mayor. "After a full month, all the preparation, all the communication, all the education, there's only been 15 violations necessary in that whole time. This is exactly what we hope to see and what we believed we'd see – the vast majority of businesses working to keep everyone safe, their employees, their customers. They had questions, they needed help, we gave it to them and they made it work."

Reagan Youth at the Bowery Electric on September 23; the venue dismantled its social distancing cubicles but does require proof of vaccination

The Great Long Meadow Fire at Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2, on October 1; security on the sidewalk checks for vaccination cards before admitting patrons

De Blasio initiated the Key to NYC vaccination mandate to encourage New Yorkers to get vaccinated and curb the spread of the coronavirus. Those who were vaccinated would be able to participate in indoor activities that are prohibited to the unvaccinated. The policy includes exemptions to children under 12, non-resident performers, and patrons needing entry to use the bathroom or place an order, for instance, but these people must wear masks.

"Since that mandate was announced, the Key to NYC mandate, the city vaccination rate has increased nine percent overall," the mayor concluded. "That's huge in terms of saving lives, in terms of protecting people, in terms of bringing New York City back. We've also seen a particular increase among our younger New Yorkers. And this was part of what we knew was the goal of Key to NYC. What do we think of young people – of course, they want to go out to restaurants, and bars, and entertainment. It makes sense. In the 18- to 34-year-old group of New Yorkers, we've seen vaccination go up 13 percent since the Key to NYC was put into effect. So, this really shows us the approach."

The Phil Gammage Quartet with guests at the 11th St. Bar on September 21; either the bartender or the door staff will ask for vaccination documents

High and Tight at Otto's Shrunken Head on September 18; security at the door will ask to see vaccination documents

Protesting the Key to NYC

U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan ruled on October 12 against a group of citizens and business owners that the mandate was racially biased because local African-American and Latinx communities had lower vaccination rates. In denying a preliminary injunction to halt the program, the Brooklyn judge wrote "any African American or Hispanic individual has a right to access a 'covered premise,' if that individual has documents showing they are vaccinated. The same is true for any other individual in New York City." The plaintiff will appeal the decision.

The New York Post reported on October 9 that a new website touted a list of 61 businesses that it claims "will not enforce vaccination mandates." The newspaper withheld the name and URL of the site.

"We are trying not to get people sick around here," a city spokesman countered, according to the article. The site creator, who gave his name only as Josh, defended his effort.

"For those who are unvaccinated or don't have identification, the businesses on that website are the only places they can go out to eat with their family," said Josh, who launched the site with his wife. "Is it dangerous for these businesses to be up there? Yes, it is. And we all understand that reality. We are basically handling over a list saying, these are the businesses in New York City that are not compliant. It's really not about money for most of these businesses. They're there for a fight. I don't think they worry about it. They don't want to deny anybody service for any reason."

A spokesman for de Blasio, Mitch Schwartz, said in a statement: "It's odd and disappointing that some people are crowd-sourcing ways to make New York City less safe from COVID-19. The vast majority of businesses have made a smooth transition to the Key to NYC, and we'll continue taking action against those who haven't."

In recent weeks, several local concerts were postponed or cancelled due to COVID concerns, as musicians or crew members test positive for the virus. Meanwhile, anti-vaccination groups sporadically protest vaccination requirements outside select concerts. Mayor de Blasio has not yet spoken about how long the Key to NYC program will last.

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The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music developments as they happen. All photographs are by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise. For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music." For a listing of upcoming concerts for live audiences, visit The Manhattan Beat's October 2021 calendar.