New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) is being sued by a group of restaurant owners and five small businesses to block his COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
“This vaccine mandate is arbitrary and capricious due to the fact that it targets certain establishments but not others,” the plaintiffs, led by the Independent Restaurant Owners Association Rescue, said in a lawsuit, as reported by CNN.
De Blasio announced earlier this month that the city would require people to show proof that they are vaccinated to enter all restaurants, fitness centers, and indoor entertainment venues.
“If you’re unvaccinated, unfortunately, you will not be able to participate in many things,” de Blasio said. “If you want to participate in our society fully, you’ve got to get vaccinated.”
The mandate went into effect this week and will be enforced on September 13.
When asked about the lawsuit during a Wednesday press conference, de Blasio said that he has “tremendous confidence that we’re in a very strong legal position.” Still, de Blasio told reporters he would keep comments about the lawsuit limited, as CNN reports.
California also announced on Wednesday people who are attending mega events indoors will need to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test before being able to enter.
“The Delta variant has proven to be highly transmissible, making it easier to spread in large crowds where people are near each other for long periods of time,” Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer, said, according to NBC4. “By requiring individuals to be vaccinated, or test negative for COVID-19 at large events, we are decreasing the risk of infection, hospitalization and death.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 169 million Americans are fully vaccinated. Over 199 million have received at least one dose of the vaccine.