Ian Schrager’s PUBLIC hotel has become the first hotel in New York City to make proof of vaccination a requirement for all of its guests, visitors and staff.
In a statement, the hotel blamed the spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19 for the introduction of the new vaccine mandate, which will be enforced from 5 September.
Ian Schrager, who was one of the co-founders of the legendary Studio 54 nightclub, is also credited with having invented the modern boutique hotel.
Other hotels will inevitably follow suit: yesterday (11 August), the Equinox Hotel-New York introduced their own vaccine mandate for guests, which will be effective from 13 September.
New York Introducing Indoor-wide Vaccine Mandate
Last week, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that a city-wide vaccine mandate will be introduced to eat indoors at restaurants, go to a show or work out at a gym.
It is the first major city in the United States to make vaccinations a requirement for indoor activities.
“The only way to patronise these establishments indoors will be if you’re vaccinated,” de Blasio said.
“The goal here is to convince everyone that this is the time. If we’re going to stop the Delta variant, the time is now. And that means getting vaccinated right now.”
To date, only 160 million Americans – less than half the population – has been vaccinated.
The issue of vaccinations has become a political football in the U.S., where vaccines are seen in some quarters as an infringement on an individual’s personal freedom – an attitude that has been amplified by some members of the Republican Party.
