New York City will now  require people to show proof of vaccination when they attend indoor activities, such as concerts, going to the gym and eating inside a restaurant, according to Rolling Stone. This was announced by NYC’s mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday, August 3rd. The mayor said during a press conference that vaccination makes a difference, “This is the whole ballgame, everyone.”

The city will officially start enforcing the new rule in mid-September. People who want to attend an indoor event like a concert, will have to show either their paper vaccination card or a digital vaccination passport via an app like the New York State’s Excelsior app or Key to NYC Pass.

This rule will be the first of it’s kind in the United States. Something similar exists only in France an Italy. These rules are created to encourage more people to get vaccinated. Due to the rise of the delta variant of the COVID-19 virus, more cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington D.C. have reinstated their indoor mask mandates.

In May, the city announced that venues could now open at a 100% capacity to vaccinated people. This was announced by the state’s governor Andrew Cuomo.

More and more bands have announced their plans to only play for a fully vaccinated audience, or people who can show a negative test. Yesterday, indie band Japanese Breakfast shared their plans, which was actually applauded by NYC mayor de Blasio. Audience members will also be required to wear a mask throughout the gig. Dave Grohl’s band Foo Fighters have recently been accused of discrimination and segregation by a group of anti-vaxxers after the band decided to only play at venues that require proof of vaccination. The group even protested outside a venue the band was playing at.

Photo credit: Raymond Flotat