New York City announced Monday that it will impose a mandate on all private sector employers to get vaccines as a preventive measure in response to a rise in Covid cases.

According to de Blasio, the mandate will be in effect from Dec. 27, de Blasio explained.

De Blasio said Monday that omicron is a new factor. He also mentioned the possibility of colder temperatures, which could pose additional problems for the delta variant. New York City has decided to strike a preemptive strike in an effort to stop Covid’s further growth and to protect all citizens from the harm it is causing.

According to the mayor, proof of vaccination will be required for all children between 5 and 11 years for indoor entertainment, fitness, or dining establishments.

New York identified 8 cases of the Omicron Variant as of Saturday, 7 in New York City and 1 in Suffolk County.

According to New York City’s health department, covid cases are on the rise with over 1,500 cases being confirmed each day.

New York City adopted the policy after Biden’s administration stopped enforcing national testing and vaccine requirements in businesses of 100 and more employees. This was to ensure compliance with a federal court ruling.

Officials in public health are concerned about an increase in Covid cases from the Delta variant this winter as more people seek shelter to avoid the cold. A spike in cases could also be caused by the omicron variation, they are concerned. Last week, the World Health Organization stated that preliminary data suggest that omicron may be more contagious than other variants. However, more information is required.

According to WHO, it is not clear if omicron can cause more severe diseases. People who tested positive in the U.S. for omicron have only shown moderate to severe symptoms.