Mayor Eric Adams brushed off Wednesday’s question that unvaccinated New York Yankees and Mets are banned from playing home games, insisting he cares about the health of the Big Apple’s general population and promising to come up with a “solution” for professional baseball players. who didn’t get the jab.
During an unrelated press conference in Queens, Adams also said he would continue to lift COVID-19-related rules, but according to his own schedule and not that of professional sports teams.
“We’re going to keep backtracking, but let’s be clear: everyone who focuses on the sports field, they’re focusing on one person,” he said in response to a question on The Post’s front page on Wednesday about the potential for stars from both New York’s baseball teams to not allowed to play at home.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams insisted that he was concerned about the health of the New York City population as a whole. Dennis A. Clark
Kyrie Irving played away matches, but not in New York. Mark Brown/Getty Images
But Adams appears to be targeting Nets star Kyrie Irving, who is barred from playing at the Barclays Center due to vaccination requirements for private sector employees.
“I’m focused on 9 million people,” Adams said. “So, I’m not looking at one person, I’m looking at that my city won’t close again, I won’t have to face this crisis again.”
“We’re going to step back like we did with the New York Key, like we did with the kids, we’re going to keep doing it,” the mayor added. “But I’m not going to rush because of the schedule of the season. I’m going to make it right for the people of the city and I’m not focusing on one person; I’m targeting 9 million people.”
Kyrie Irving is not allowed to play at the Barclays Center due to vaccinations. NY POST Photo/Robert Sabo
Kyrie Irving is a 29-year-old seven-time NBA All-Star who has not received a COVID-19 vaccine. Photo AP/Phelan M. Ebenhak
The mayor’s remarks come a day after The Post confirmed that when the MLB season begins, Mets and Yankees players who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 will not be allowed to play at Citi Field or Yankee Stadium. For the Bronx Bombers and Amazin’s, Adams promised to work with MLB to come up with an unspecified “decision” before the teams hit the field in early April.
“We are going to do an analysis. Baseball season is not tomorrow. It’s not next week. We are going to solve this problem. We will keep New Yorkers safe without further spread of COVID,” he said on Wednesday.
“I look forward to speaking with Major League Baseball as we work with our medical team to discuss how we can find a solution. It is my goal. My goal is to find a solution that keeps us safe so that our economy gets back up and running and doesn’t change the progress we’ve made.”
Eric Adams opted out of the Key to New York municipal program. Photo by AP/John Minchillo
Eric Adams also said he would continue to lift the rules related to COVID-19. Christopher Sadowski
Adams’ response also comes after earlier this month he pulled out of the municipal Key to New York program, a program adopted last summer by former Mayor Bill de Blasio and initially backed by Adams.
Proof of COVID-19 vaccination was required to enter many venues, including sports facilities, restaurants, bars and cinemas. But the rule exempts members of professional sports teams who don’t live in New York, as well as non-resident artists.
On Wednesday morning, Adams noted that it was this particular component of the city’s mandate for indoor vaccinations that he considered unfair, and not the private sector requirements he retained.
Kyrie Irving was able to sit on the court in street clothes on Sunday at the Barclays Center. Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP
“I’m focused on 9 million people,” said Eric Adams. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
“I think it was unfair for the city to say that players who come from outside the city can play, but those who are on New York sports teams cannot play,” he said. “We are going to proceed with the assessment and displacement and make sure we are safe. This is the only answer I can give you.”
During the press conference, the mayor also said that mandatory COVID-19 vaccination rules allow professional basketball teams to play all season non-stop, and believes they have kept the five boroughs from returning by the start of the pandemic.
“The NBA has a season because of mandates. They didn’t have to cancel the season because we have mandates,” he said. “We are here as long as schools are open, businesses are open, our city does not close, our hospitals do not overflow. That’s why we’re here.”
The Nets were fined $50,000 for allowing Kyrie Irving to enter their locker room. NY POST Photo/Robert Sabo
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving hug on the court after a game as the Brooklyn Nets played the New York Knicks, Sunday, March 13, 2022. NY POST Photo/Robert Sabo
Meanwhile, Irving, a 29-year-old seven-time NBA All-Star who has not received a COVID-19 vaccine, is playing on the road, but not in New York. On Sunday, Irving was able to sit on the court in street clothes at the Barclays Center, where the Nets faced the Knicks, because the city’s indoor vaccination requirements had been lifted while vaccinations for private sector workers remained in place.
The Nets were subsequently fined $50,000 for allowing the star quarterback to enter their locker room.