New York mandates vaccines or testing for NYC transit workers

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said workers in New York City's airports and public transit system will have to get coronavirus vaccinations or face weekly testing, but he stopped short Monday of mandating either masks or inoculations for the general public, saying he lacks the legal authority to do so.

The Democrat urged New York's bars and restaurants to adopt a policy of only serving vaccinated people and said that more hospitals should require workers to get vaccines. He said that imposing mandates, though, would require an act of the Legislature to restore emergency powers that have expired.

"The Legislature would have to come back, they'd have to pass a law to do that. So I don't have any legal authority to mandate," Cuomo said of a mask mandate. "The best I can do is say I strongly recommend that they do that."

Cuomo announced that the vaccinate-or-be-tested policies already covering thousands of municipal employees would be extended to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and for Port Authority employees working in New York facilities beginning Labor Day. The policy will cover more than 70,000 workers, most of whom are already vaccinated.

Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Tony Utano said they will continue to urge members to get vaccinated and will work with the MTA to make sure testing is widely available.

Shortly after Cuomo spoke to reporters, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was "strongly recommending" that even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors when not at home, but also declined to make masking mandatory.