New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday that the private-sector COVID-19 vaccine mandate will be dropped for performers and athletes in local venues.
This means unvaccinated New York Yankees and Mets players will now be able to play in home games at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field.
“This is about putting New York City-based performance on a level playing field,” Adams said Thursday. “Day 1 when I was mayor, I looked at the rule that stated hometown players had an unfair disadvantage for those who were coming to visit and immediately I felt we needed to look at that. My medical professionals said we’re at a different place. We have to wait until we’re at a place, we’re at a low area and we could re-examine some of the mandates. We’re here today. Currently, only non-residents are exempt under this executive order. We’re expanding it to residents of New York City.
“Unimaginable, we were treating our performers differently because they lived and played for home teams. It’s not acceptable. This exemption has put our sports teams at a self-imposed disadvantage, but this new order will help boost our economy.”
It is not known exactly which Yankees and Mets players are unvaccinated.
The Mets home opener is set for April 15 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, while the Yankees start their season at home against the Boston Red Sox on April 7.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].