Starting this Friday, New York City will pay $100 to anyone who goes to a city-run vaccination site for their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
The announcement comes just days after the mayor said all city workers would have to be vaccinated or go through strict weekly testing protocols.
It also comes amid a surge in cases in the city, driven by the explosion of the delta variant. Last Friday, the rolling average of new daily cases was 32% higher than a week prior.
According to New York State Department of Health data, between 45% and 65% of New York City residents are fully vaccinated, depending on the borough.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that cities in high-transmission areas — which includes New York City — should “seriously consider” adopting the CDC’s new guidelines on indoor masking for vaccinated people. But Cuomo stopped short of fully mandating it.