Proof of COVID-19 vaccination may be required at some DC bars
WASHINGTON - New York City is making headlines as the first in the nation to require proof of vaccination for indoor dining, gyms and entertainment activities -- and now similar policies are popping up at bars in the District.
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Mayor Bill de Blasio made the announcement in New York on Tuesday. Their new requirement, which will be phased in over several weeks in August and September, is the most aggressive step the city has taken to curb a surge in cases caused by the delta variant. New York's policy requires people show proof that they have had at least one vaccine dose.
NYC TO REQUIRE PROOF OF VACCINATION FOR INDOOR DINING, ENTERTAINMENT, FITNESS
While the same is not required in D.C., FOX 5's Bob Barnard visited the Northwest where some bars and restaurants have taken similar action. Trade, a bar on 14th Street, is one of the bars we found in the District that requires proof of vaccination for entry. "TRADE guests and staff will be required to wear masks indoors and provide proof of vaccination for entry," read a tweet they posted last month. They also have signs posted at the entrance of the business with the same message.
Last week the nation's capital returned to mandatory indoor mask requirements, regardless of vaccination status. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser says the new regulations apply to everyone over age two.
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The announcement didn't come as a surprise considering rising local COVID-19 infection numbers and new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which now encourages vaccinated people to wear masks indoors in areas classified as having "substantial community transmission" levels – which includes Washington and the neighboring Virginia communities.
VIDEO: DC MAYOR BOWSER OFFICIATES LARGE WEDDING AFTER NEW INDOOR MASK MANDATE
Videos and photos circulating on social media show a maskless D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser officiating a large wedding in the District on Saturday despite a newly reinstated indoor mask mandate in the nation's capital.
The Associated Press contributed to this report