New measures requiring proof of vaccination to enter restaurants, gyms and other aspects of public life in New York City and elsewhere are putting a burden on government businesses already bebelged after COVID - 19 - induced lockdowns to capture fraudulent vaccination cards as the FBI has raised alarm over the growing black markets for such inoculations passports.
The vaccination requirement for New York City indoor dining, entertainment and fitness facilities isn't supposed to take effect until the week of Aug. 16 although Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday applauded some 30 businesses which already voluntarily started requiring proof of vaccination at entry. Key to NYC is a "quick, reliable and productive initiative" for many youth, De Blasio said. Other restaurant owners have however voiced concern about the need to police this new rule, fearing that shutdowns from state departments of health would further hurt their already suffering business.
Our city restaurants have been devastated and this is another imposition that is going to be extraordinarily tough for restaurants to deal with, said Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality AllianceNew York City Hospitality Alliance, representing over 4,000 restaurants last week, told Fox Friends. Restaurant workers have been placed in the impossible position throughout the pandemic to essentially be COVID police.
I speak with restaurant owners throughout the city, and there's a lot of people with different and passionate views about this, but one thing we know is that we can't get shut down again. And if that is a potential threat, we need to do everything now to avoid it, he said.
Some restaurants have accepted the requirement, others, like Pasticceria Rocco in Brooklyn, have been more defiant to the mandate of de Blasio's organization and there is a large sign in its window that reads, We do not discriminate against ANY customer based on race, gender, race, creed, age, vaccination or unvaccinated. All customers who wish to patronize are welcome in our establishment, WCBS-TV reported.
Whether you’re being vaccinated or not, you are welcome, manager Mary Josephine Generoso told the station. I don't think we would be the vaccination officer. So that's up to the Mayor's office. It's up to the health department to figure out, but it certainly shouldn't be the burden on store owners, bars and gyms to be regulated.
As the grace period begins next week, enforcement of the rule begins Sept. 13. Even before a city government mulled requiring proof of vaccination, vaccine mandates issued by corporations for employees and universities for students who want to return to campus this fall have already fueled demand for a fake industry selling vaccination cards online.
In a recent criminal complaint, photos show how the fake vaccination cards closely mirror the real documents issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which depict the type of vaccine and date of inoculation handwritten by a medical provider. Because it can be easily imported, there is a push to digitize.
But there have been issues with the new NYC COVID SAFE accurately verifying proof of vaccination documents and because having apps view vaccination status also raises privacy concerns, most vendors would accept a physical card.
In May, the FBI warned Illinois residents that posting photographs of legitimate vaccination cards online could leave individuals vulnerable to identity theft as card may contain an individual's name, date of birth or insurance information. Affirming the creation, purchase or sale of vaccine cards endangers public safety, the FBI also warned that the unauthorized use of an official government agency's seal on such cards is a federal crime and penalties can include hefty fines and prison time.
And as early as February, when COVID - 19 vaccine rollout was still slowly happening in the U.S., FBI El Paso, Texas, made a warning about identity theft, explaining that scammers used photos of legitimate vaccination cards placed onto social media to sell vaccination cards and forge them for profit.
FOX Business reached out to the FBI New York office to inquire about fraudulent vaccine cards a week before de Blasio's measure is to take effect but did not hear back before publication.
Although the proof of vaccination requirement in Washington, D.C. is the first of its kind in government in New York City since the onset of the pandemic, bars and restaurants in other jurisdictions, including New York City, have begun requiring proof of vaccination for entry after Mayor Muriel Bowser reinstated an indoor mask mandate for the district last month.
Meanwhile, The Associated Press counts more than 600 institutions and colleges that now require proof of COVID - 19 inoculations. And Microsoft, Tyson Foods and Walmart are among the growing list of corporate America employers wanting vaccination for their onsite workers.