New York Mayor Eric Adams lifted the city's vaccine mandate while imploring athletes to get their vaccinations. (1:45)
The mayor of New York City exempted athletes and performers from the city's vaccine mandate after weeks of pressure from the sports world.
The mayor said Thursday that he had signed the order. The exemption took effect immediately.
I will make some tough choices. Adams said that people are not going to agree with some of them.
Adams said that making the athletes and performers exempt was important for the city's economic recovery.
Private workers and government employees will still be subject to the vaccine mandate even if they are not workers. Several public employee unions whose members were fired for refusing to get vaccine were blasted by the mayor for seeming to lift the rule for only wealthy and famous athletes.
The Municipal Labor Committee, an umbrella group of unions that together represent 350,000 city workers, said the city should offer a way for fired workers to get their jobs back.
One system for the elite and another for the essential workers of our city is not possible. The group's chair, Harry Nespolli, said that they were ready to work out the details with the mayor.
The city's largest police union has sued the city, saying its officers don't deserve to be treated like second-class citizens.
We have been suing the city for months over its vaccine mandate, and this is exactly what we are talking about. Pat Lynch said that if the mandate isn't necessary for famous people, then it's not necessary for the cops who are protecting our city in the middle of a crime crisis.
More than 1,400 workers were fired for failing to comply with the vaccine mandate. There could be more legal challenges over the application.
Last year, former Mayor Bill de Blasio made vaccinations mandatory for workers.
The mandate had legal standing because it applied to everyone, according to a health adviser to de Blasio.
Unless you are rich and powerful,VaccinesWork. The Kyrie Carve Out opens the City up to an entire scheme being voided by courts.
The vaccine rule was unfair when it came to athletes and performers because of a loophole in it that allowed visiting players and performers who don't work in New York to still play or perform even if they are unvaccinated, according to Adams.
Irving, a vaccine holdout, was one of the most high-profile people impacted. He rejoined the team when it played road games. Irving was allowed to watch the Nets home games but not play or enter the locker room after New York lifted its vaccine rules.
With nine games left in the regular season, the Nets need him.
The rule would affect Major League Baseball.
The New York Yankees star refused to answer a question about his vaccine status, leading to speculation that another New York team would be hobbled by a player's refusal to get inoculated.
Judge said he was happy that Kyrie could play some home games after the rule was lifted.
The Yankees said earlier this month that the team president was working with city hall and other appropriate officials on the matter.
Steve Cohen, the owner of the New York Mets, gave over a million dollars to support Adams. Adams is a fan of the Mets.
On Tuesday, Adams said that masks could be optional for children under the age of 5.
Rules requiring people to show proof of vaccination to work out at a gym, attend a show, or go to an indoor sporting event have already been removed.
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