This plan includes vaccination incentives such as $100 debit cards. De Blasio stated that the goal is to convince everyone that now is the right time.It will work as follows: You must show proof of having received at least one dose (or more) of the covid vaccine to be allowed to see a Broadway production, eat at a restaurant indoors, or exercise at a gym. It won't be required for basic tasks like grocery shopping. Acceptable proof includes the Excelsior Pass of the state (which has been subject to a variety of glitches, fairness concerns, and other issues) as well as the NYC Covid Safe app. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can also issue a paper card. This applies to employees and customers of these places.Some details remain unclear. It is unclear, for example, how the plan will work with children under 12 years old who are not yet eligible for vaccination. (De Blasio stated that more information will be available in mid-August. It is not clear how workers and venue operators will handle the responsibility of verifying everyone. NYC Hospitality Alliance stated in a statement that this new requirement was a difficult step and controversial for many. However, it will be welcomed by other businesses as a way to enforce policies that were previously voluntary.This is the app: The NYC Covid Safe App has fewer features than state apps and doesn't directly connect to vaccine records. It simply stores an image from a vaccine record. Because the US vaccine databases don't have a central location, it makes it easier to access a person's vaccine record. Albert Fox Cahn is the executive director of Surveillance Technology Oversight Project and studies vaccine passports. He points out some problems. The city's app stores a photo and will accept any type of vaccine proof. This makes it very easy to falsify credentials. Cahn says it's amazing that they would make such a huge effort to reinvent the camera.S. Mitra Kalita is the founder of the covid resource Epicenter NYC. She says that while policies are necessary to fight the delta variant, the new technology shouldn't distract from the larger goal of helping more people get vaccinated. She says that we still see people who do not know vaccines are available for free. Apps are one thing. There are many other things we need right now.The larger picture: The US has had a difficult time with vaccine mandates and apps. Many states have banned the requirement of proof. There is a stark divide. San Francisco now has hundreds of bars that require such proof. In recent times, more employers are requiring vaccines, even from companies as diverse as Tyson, Google and Disney.Others countries have also faced resistance to recent mandates, including France and Italy. The UK is currently debating this move. Israel cancelled and then relaunched their green pass. The Ada Lovelace Institute has a good listing.
