NYC Indoor Dining, Entertainment And Fitness Covid Vaccine Mandate Begins This Week, How Is Compliance On Roosevelt Island So Far - Cornell Cafe Complying But Not RIOC Sportspark Pool

According to this August 16 press release from NYC Mayor Bill deBlasio's office: 

Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the Key to NYC vaccination mandate for indoor dining, entertainment and fitness will start tomorrow, August 17. Enforcement will begin, with a multi-agency coalition, on September 13. Read the Executive Order here....

...“The Key to NYC will unlock many of our favorite activities,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Dave A. Chokshi. “Vaccination makes every activity safer and this is a common-sense precaution to keep patrons of gyms, restaurants and indoor entertainment healthy.”...

... Penalties for failure to comply after September 13 start at $1,000 and can reach $5,000 for repeated violators.

Today the Key to NYC begins. Your vaccination card will unlock everything our city has to offer.

This is the way we move forward together, stay healthy, and fully bring our city back.https://t.co/gAuH86S9x0https://t.co/Eaf01BRFqP

— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) August 17, 2021

The NYC Department Of Health adds:

... Starting August 17, people 12 and older will be required to show proof they have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine authorized for emergency use by the FDA or WHO for:

• Indoor dining
  • Includes restaurants, catering halls, event spaces, hotel banquet rooms, bars, nightclubs, cafeterias, grocery stores with indoor dining, coffee shops and fast food or quick service with indoor dining
• Indoor fitness
  • Includes gyms, fitness centers, fitness classes, pools, indoor studios and dance studios
• Indoor entertainment
  • Includes movie theaters, music and concert venues, museums and galleries, aquariums and zoos, professional sports arenas, indoor stadiums, convention centers, exhibition halls, performing arts theaters, bowling alleys, arcades, pool and billiard halls, recreational game centers, adult entertainment and indoor play areas

This new requirement — called the Key to NYC — includes bars, fitness gyms, movie and stage theatres, museums and other indoor venues. Staff at these locations are also required to be vaccinated.

The highly contagious delta variant is spreading quickly in NYC, and unvaccinated people are at the most risk for infection, hospitalization and death. Learn how you can get vaccinated for free today....

... Proof of vaccination may include:

• NYC COVID Safe App: Android | iOS
• Excelsior Pass
• CDC Vaccination Card (or photo)
• NYC Vaccination Record
• An official immunization record from outside NYC or the U.S

The Roosevelt Island Cafe @Cornell Tech is abiding by the NYC Vaccine mandate for those wishing to eat inside.

But a tipster reports that the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) has not been checking vaccination status this week for those using the Sportspark pool 

and upon asking the Public Safety Department about the matter, the Tipster was told:

... they didn't know anything about it...

Last Monday, I asked RIOC:

I’m told Sportspark is not asking for proof of vaccination today?

Why not?

Will they in future?

Does the NYC proof of vaccination apply to rioc facilities?

No response to date from RIOC.

NYC restaurateur Danny Meyer explains to the Washington Post why he supports the vaccine mandate

 

We live in different worlds.

Hey, @kilmeade: a real vaccine card is completely free. A fake one will cost you way more than a dollar when you get caught, trust me. https://t.co/iiXlx1tLur

— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) August 18, 2021

Update 8/23 - I followed up again today asking RIOC:

I'm following up to see why RIOC is not checking vaccination status at Sportspark Pool as required by NYC.

As of this morning, RIOC is still not checking vaccine status.

Any comment from RIOC?

 RIOC replied this evening:

As we continue to adjust our operations to keep the Roosevelt Island community safe during COVID-19, Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) will align our polices with the recent Key to NYC vaccination mandate issued by New York City on August 17, 2021.     

This mandate states that people 12 and older will be required to show proof that they have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine authorized for emergency use by the FDA or WHO to enter affected facilities.

Affected RIOC facilities include:

• Sportspark
• Cultural Center

Acceptable forms of proof of Vaccination:   

• NYC COVID Safe App: Android | iOS   
• Excelsior Pass   
• CDC Vaccination Card (or photo)   
• NYC Vaccination Record   
• An official immunization record from outside NYC or the U.S.   

The highly contagious delta variant is spreading quickly and unvaccinated people are at the most risk for infection, hospitalization, and death. For more information on this mandate, visit https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid-19-vaccines-keytonyc.page. To find out where you can receive a free COVID-19 vaccine, visit vaccinefinder.nyc.gov or call 1-877-829-4692.