Photo: Getty Images
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) – The City of Boston’s indoor COVID-19 vaccine mandate goes into effect this Saturday.
Anyone going out to eat, heading to the gym or seeing a show or game will have to show proof of vaccination upon entry. Acceptable examples include CDC vaccination cards, a digital image of the card and an image of any official immunization record or any COVID vaccine verification apps including Boston’s Be Together app, which will launch Saturday as well.
Patrons can enter any of these spaces as long as they've received at least their first dose of a COVID vaccine. However by February 15, people will have to show proof of both doses for any indoor activity. The mandate applies to everyone 12 and older.
Read More: Winds On Friday, Dangerous Cold For Saturday And Stormy Weather On Monday
Many business owners have been preparing for the mandate long before Mayor Michelle Wu officially announced it on December 20, 2021. Mark Harrington, president of Healthworks Fitness Center, started prepping in October.
“We’ve been working for the last several months to be ready for this vaccine mandate,” he said. “We started off in October with following OSHA guidelines related to employees.”
Read More: Visitor Changes At Massachusetts Hospitals Amid COVID-19 Surge
Harrington also said his business has received overwhelming positive feedback about the mandate from his clients.
“We’ve received thousands of emails related to this and our plans,” he said. “For every negative email we get, we get almost 200 positive emails from our members that are excited about this. New members are joining and members who haven’t felt comfortable about coming to the club are saying they’re ready to come back.”
Overall, Harrington felt that the community is ready to come back together to practice physical and mental health in a full-vaccinated facility.
WBZ’s Jim MacKay (@JimMacKayOnAir) has more:
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook|Twitter|Instagram|iHeartmedia App