NEW YORK Mayor Eric Adams’ decision to deny vaccine mandates has been welcomed by restaurant and bar owners – but the move is “long overdue” and “too late” for many who may still be forced to close their doors due to a lack of customers .

Restaurant owners such as Robert Mahon, who runs Toro Loco, Amor Loco and Broadstone in Manhattan, told DailyMail.com that the removal of the mandate was long overdue.

“It’s too late for many of us. Local government in New York has destroyed thousands of businesses so far, and unfortunately many restaurants in non-resident areas are still suffering,” he said.

“There will be more bars and restaurants that will close in the next few months, regardless of the abolition of the vaccine mandate. Until the offices return to full capacity, the prospects for many are bleak.

Over the past two weeks, Adams has stressed the need for employees to return to offices after a survey showed that only 28 percent go to work every day. He said the move was crucial to the city’s culture and economy as covid-19 cases and hospitalizations stabilized from the peak in early January.

“For our economic and financial ecosystem to function, we need to have human interaction,” Adams said Wednesday.

But until that happens, the bleak prospect is shared by other companies in the city, including Joey Hayes, manager of the Short Stories bar in East Village, who told DailyMail.com that the mandate was difficult and polarizing.

“It was a little difficult in New York because we were disgraced for those terms. Instead of customers being grateful for protecting them and public health, they asked why we were doing this,” she said.

“They asked why we were erecting walls and borders, but all we were doing was trying to protect our business from shutdown.”

Businesses in New York have welcomed what some say is the “long-standing” repeal of the city’s vaccination proof requirement (Katz’s Deli employee checks proof of vaccination from customers who will eat at the restaurant in August 2021)

Customers at Katz’s Deli – a tourist hotspot – check their proof of vaccination at the door. Mayor Adams announced Sunday that proof of vaccination will no longer be required for indoor eating, fitness and entertainment from March 7, as long as COVID indicators do not deteriorate.

A sign at Clinton Hall tells visitors to show proof of vaccination. Restaurant owners say two years of criminal lockouts have already forced thousands of restaurants to close – and fear they will close their doors more as workers continue to work from home

Mayor Adams announced Sunday that from March 7, proof of vaccination will no longer be required for indoor dining, fitness and entertainment, as long as COVID’s performance does not deteriorate. He is due to make a final decision to revoke his term on Friday.

Other major cities – including Chicago – have already taken steps to lift their vaccination proof requirements, as key data revealed that the worst of Omicron’s surge is behind us. COVID cases in the U.S. reached a low point, with the nation registering only 7,464 new infections on Sunday.

The move to lift the restrictions comes after several Restaurants in New York city decided not to impose the vaccine mandates, and thousands were forced to close for good after two years of punishing lockouts.

In August 2021, a group of Staten Island restaurants and other businesses sued then-Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city for the mandate, calling it “arbitrary, irrational, unscientific and illegal.”

“These restrictions have done severe and irreparable damage to small businesses across the city,” the lawsuit says.

The mandates have also caused turmoil among customers. In September, a housewife at the famous Carmine’s restaurant was attacked by three women from Texas who were part of a group where some were denied entry because they showed no proof of their vaccine.

The women, who were later charged, claimed the Asian housewife called them a racial insult – a claim the hostess denied.

The mandates have also caused turmoil among customers. In September, a housewife at the famous Carmine’s restaurant was attacked by three women in Texas who were part of a group where some were denied entry because they showed no proof of their vaccine

Following Adams’ announcement to lift the restrictions, Short Stories manager Joey Hayes told DailyMail.com that checking for proof of vaccination was a “very invasive” process.

“The need to ask questions about customer requirements as soon as they got into a pub was difficult,” she explained. ‘You want to give customers a beautiful experience by asking for proof of vaccination, creating a playing field that wasn’t great and removing this requirement will help the customer experience.

‘It was originally designed to protect everyone, but I think now we can go back to the way we’ve experienced customer service and hospitality before.’

The restaurant and bar manager also explained how pandemic restrictions had negatively affected the business, noting that the proof of a vaccination requirement was initially met with reluctance.

“A lot of people in New York have already been vaccinated, so it wasn’t a fight specifically for us, but it absolutely affected business,” Hayes said, noting that during her travels she found that many other states don’t run vaccine checks.

“At first we saw a big impact, especially when there was a reluctance to get vaccinated. There was a reluctance to be among the people in general. It took until July, when we saw a pickup truck in the business, and August we saw that people were starting to arrive in a more ordinary volume. Now we go back to the numbers we’ve seen in previous years.

She added: “We’ve worked with flu and a cold and all these things in the past and it has to happen again.”

Hayes also noted that her establishment has adapted to all kinds of COVID restrictions, and if “the time comes” when they have to perform vaccination checks again, they will.

Similarly, NYC Hospitality Alliance Chairman Andrew Riggi reiterated the importance of officials continuing to be “smart and safe and change mandates as COVID risks decrease.”

“So removing proof of vaccination for indoor dining in New York city will be welcome news for many restaurants and bars, although I wouldn’t be surprised if some businesses want to voluntarily keep it in place,” Riggy tweeted Sunday night.

The National Federation of Independent Business, in a statement released to DailyMail.com on Monday, said: “This is welcome news for small businesses in New York, which has suffered huge losses for nearly two years and endured relentless economic challenges while managing ever-changing, universal public health mandates.

“With new York’s high unemployment rate and small businesses facing record numbers of vacancies, removing barriers to employment is necessary and extremely important. It is time to return to some semblance of normality and focus on restoring the fragile small businesses in the city.

Announcing the repeal of the city’s mandates, Adams tweeted: “We fought a long, tough battle. And we win it because of the toughness and determination of every day New Yorkers like you.

Adams said the city will loosen its restrictions while Covid data continues to move in the right direction, but some have criticized his decision to remove indoor vaccine requirements.

Mayor Adams announced his push to end the mandate to prove vaccination over the weekend after New York Governor Kathy Hotchul announced that the state would repeal its mandates for masks.

“I want to thank the millions of New Yorkers who disguised themselves and helped us reach unprecedented vaccination rates,” Adams tweeted Sunday. “We fought a long, hard battle. And we win it because of the toughness and determination of every day New Yorkers like you.

The mandate for indoor masks for schools will also be abolished on the same day, provided there are no unexpected spikes in the virus.

“The numbers in New York continue to decline day by day, so while COVID indicators show a low level of risk and we see no surprises this week, on Monday, March 7, we will also eliminate Key2NYC’s requirements,” Adams said.

‘This will give business owners time to adapt and allow us to ensure we make the best public health decisions for the people of New York.’

Ahead of Sunday’s announcement, Adams indicated he wanted to lift COVID restrictions and help businesses get back to normal before the pandemic.

“We can’t close again, and I’m not going to do anything in my anticipation to come back that will jeopardize the city’s closure again,” Adams said during a news conference last Wednesday.

“Our economy cannot cope. We don’t have another $11 billion to get back into the economy. We have to do it in an intelligent way.

The mayor also said he meets daily with health experts who provide structure and metrics that the city must implement before abandoning restrictions on coronavirus.

COVID cases in the US reached a low point, with the nation registering just 7,464 new infections on Sunday

The average daily number of cases in the country has fallen to 66,337 a day, a drop of 34 percent over the past week and a whopping 91 percent drop from the record of 800,000 cases a day reached in mid-January.

The Big Apple was one of the heaviest places in the world from the Omicron variant leading up to Christmas and into the new year.

Cases jumped more than ten-fold in a few weeks, from about 3,000 a day to 40,000 a day in early January.

Daily figures of those infected began to fall afterwards, dropping to about 5,000 cases a day by the end of January.

A similar trend has been observed in much of America, where massive settlement centers were hit hard and early by the highly contagious variant before cases declined rapidly after the peak.

On Sunday, the U.S. recorded only 7,464 new infections on Sunday.

While Sunday is always a day when the U.S. registers fewer infections than others – many local health departments are closed during the day – this is the first time fewer than 10,000 cases have been recorded in one day since July 11 last year. The previous “small” Sunday amounts so far this year were over 70,000.

The average daily number of cases in the country has fallen to 66,337 a day, a drop of 34 percent over the past week and an incredible 91 percent drop from the record of 800,000 cases a day reached in mid-January.

Source

Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott dodged a reporter’s question over the weekend about whether Donald Trump should condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine.

Scott, who leads the Republican Party’s Senate group dedicated to electing more Republicans, hastened to condemn the Russian autocrat himself, but said it was “up to Trump” to do so.

Speaking to CBS News at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Scott instead directed Democrat President Joe Biden to do more for the GOP and the people of Ukraine and argued that Trump’s main focus is to help Republicans regain a majority in Congress during this year’s mid-term.

Trump sparked outrage across the political spectrum late last week when he praised Russia’s authoritarian leader’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine as “genius” and said his plan to define two separatist-held areas as “independent” was “pretty sensible.”

During his big speech, titled CPAC on Saturday night, Trump returned his comments about Ukraine but continued to speak passionately about Putin. Instead, he blamed the Biden administration for the invasion of Russian forces.

“The Russian attack on Ukraine is horrific. It’s an outrage and an atrocity that should never have been allowed,” Trump told his audience in Florida last night.

A view of the damage due to an armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine in donetsk region under the control of pro-Russian separatists, eastern Ukraine on February 27

Ukrainian fighters continue to thwart Russian takeover of their country in historic standoff

Scott wouldn’t say Trump should condemn Putin despite repeated inquiry

However, he also said: “Yesterday, reporters asked me if I thought President Putin was smart. I said, of course, he’s smart. The problem is not that Putin is smart – which of course is smart – but that our leaders are stupid.

Shortly before the speech, CBS journalist Robert Costa asked Scott if Trump should condemn Putin in future comments.

“It is clear that we must all condemn what is happening in Ukraine. I mean, Putin is a thug. We have to hold him accountable. “I hope the Biden administration, I hope everyone, you know, will hold back – they’re doing everything they can to keep the Biden administration going,” Scott began.

Costa shortened Scott as if that should include the former president.

“Well, it’s President Trump’s decision,” Scott replied. “You know, Biden – Putin is a thug, it’s despised, my heart is with the people of Ukraine.”

“I will do everything I can to help the citizens of Ukraine, we need to make sure that we provide all the resources we can.”

Costa pressed him again: “So it’s up to him whether he condemns Putin or not?”

“Of course it’s always up to him,” Scott said.

Photos from the Ukrainian city of Sumi show a Russian tank on fire just days after newly revealed camera footage showed a huge column of tanks moving towards the city

A fighter from the Ukrainian Territorial Defense looks at a destroyed Russian infantry mobile machine GAZ Tigr after the fighting in Kharkiv on February 27

The senator dismissed further questions about whether Trump should be encouraged to do so.

“It’s always up to everyone to do what they want,” Scott replied.

Asked if he, as head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, wanted Trump to issue a “strong message” against the invasion, Scott said, “Well, I talked to President Trump. I’ve spoken to Republicans all over the country. We’re all focused on getting the Senate back.

It’s possible Scott doesn’t want to be caught on Trump’s bad side after it was reported that the former president is trying to woo Scott to challenge Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell for his lead.

Trump had implored Scott during a private meeting at Mar-a-Lago to run for the leadership against McConnell, CBS reported.

Scott unequivocally ruled out such a challenge in his interview Saturday afternoon.

Ukraine’s forces are resisting the Russian army as it tries to advance towards the capital Kiev.

Nearly 200 Ukrainians have died on Saturday morning since the Russian invasion began early last week, a Ukrainian health ministry official said. More than 1,000 Ukrainian citizens were injured.

There are more than 3,500 casualties in Russia, according to the BBC, although reports suggest the devastating figure has not reached Kremlin-controlled media channels.

Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky confirmed on Sunday that Kiev and Moscow would participate in peace talks on his country’s border with Belarus. His office released a statement crediting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for brokering the talks, which he said would continue “without preconditions.”

Lukashenko, who allowed Putin to send his troops to Ukraine via Belarus just days ago, promised that all weapons and military technology stationed in his country would remain on the ground when officials met.

At the same time, Putin said in a televised address that he had ordered troops acting with nuclear deterrence to enter a “special regime on duty” in light of “aggressive statements” by NATO leaders and “unfriendly economic actions.”

Hours earlier, Ukraine had filed a lawsuit against Russia in The Hague, with Zelensky asking the UN International Court of Justice to order Russia to stop its attack on Ukraine and start trials.

“Ukraine has filed its complaint against Russia with the Ministry of State. Russia must be held responsible for manipulating the concept of genocide to justify aggression. We want an urgent solution that will order Russia to cease its military activity now, and we expect the trials to begin next week,” Zelensky said in a statement on Twitter.

Ukraine’s latest war, at a glance

• Kiev and Moscow will hold peace talks on the border with Belarus, Vladimir Zelenski confirmed today
• The Ukrainian president’s office said the two delegations would meet “without preconditions” near the Pripyat River, north of Chernobyl
• Russia failed to retake Ukraine’s capital Kiev during the fighting on Saturday night and Sunday morning
• But Russian forces entered Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, on Sunday morning
• Street battles are reported to be taking place, and photos show a Russian military machine on fire
• Oleh Sinehubov, head of the regional administration in Kharkiv, said Ukrainian forces were fighting Russian troops in the city and asked civilians not to leave their homes
• However, reports in Ukrainian newspapers suggested that troops had managed to repel Russia’s offensive towards Kharkiv, with one British reporter on the ground confirming that the city remained under Ukrainian control despite this morning’s attack.
• Russian forces have reportedly blocked Kherson and Berdyansk and carried out another missile strike on Ukraine’s military infrastructure, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said
• UN says at least 240 Ukrainian civilians killed
• At least 200,000 people have fled Ukraine in three countries, with 150,000 said to have crossed into Poland alone
• Unconfirmed reports that she was being shelled by Russian forces at a hospital for children with cancer in Kiev were also debunked
• Ukrainian news site TSN reported that the boy was killed at a children’s hospital in the city
• According to Kyiv Independent, at least two children and two adults were injured in an incident at a children’s cancer hospital in Ohmadit
• However, the New York Times refuted the allegations, saying that while gunfire was heard near the hospital, it was not fired by artillery.
• Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said their air force shot down a missile aimed at the capital Kiev from a plane flown by Russian ally Belarus
• Ukraine’s Defense Ministry today urged foreigners to join its armed forces and fight Putin’s army, with Ukraine’s foreign minister urging people to contact his department.
• UK intelligence says fighting in Kiev last night was of ‘lower intensity’ than the night before
• The Defense Ministry said there had been an “intense” exchange of rocket artillery in Kharkiv, followed by “heavy fighting” between Ukrainian and Russian forces
• As fighting continued, Russia said it was taking part in peace talks with the Ukrainian government in Belarus
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the delegation included military and diplomats. “The Russian delegation is ready for talks, and we are now waiting for the Ukrainians,” he said.
• However, while Zelensky said that although he said Ukraine was ready for peace talks, he said they would not take place in Belarus – which was a base for Russian troops before the invasion
• In a televised address, Zelenski, standing next to a Ukrainian flag, wearing an army green T-shirt and jumper, said: “If there were no aggressive actions from your territory, we could talk in Minsk… other cities can be used as a place to talk
• He later said Russia should be stripped of its seat on the UN Security Council because of its incursion into his country
• Meanwhile, Ukraine destroyed a convoy of 56 tanks of dangerous Chechen fighters
• Among those killed was one of The High Generals of Čečania Magomed Tunshaev
• At least two explosions rocked the country in the early hours of Sunday local time
• Vasilkov, which is located southwest of Ukraine, saw that the fuel depot of his airbase was attacked by Russian ballistic missiles
• The subsequent fire cast an eerie orange glow over Kiev, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of Kiev.
• The pipeline was blown up near Kharkiv, sending a huge mushroom cloud rising into the sky
• Woman killed in Kharkiv after Russian projectile hits apartment block
• Russian PM says he is angered by slower-than-expected efforts to conquer Ukraine
• UK Armed Services Minister James Happy, writing in The Telegraph, warned that Putin’s days “will surely be numbered” if he fails in his ambition to take over Kiev
• Mr. Happy, a former rifle major, said that if Putin fails and the Russian people can show “how little he cares about them… Putin’s days as president will surely be numbered, as will those of the kleptocratic elite that surrounds them. He will lose power and will not be able to choose his successor.
• However, there are fears that delaying russia’s invasion plan could make Putin more desperate in trying to crush Ukrainian resolve
• A Russian thermobar missile launcher was spotted by an American film crew south of Belgorod, Russia, near the Ukrainian border
• The US and EU have agreed to limit Russia’s use of the SWIFT messaging system, which is vital for global financial transactions
• Donald Trump condemned Saturday’s invasion
• He said: “The Russian attack on Ukraine is horrific, it is an outrage and an atrocity that should never have been allowed. It was never going to happen. We pray for the proud people of Ukraine. God bless them all.
• China’s ambassador to Ukraine, Phan Ying-moon, shared a video ing allegations that he fled Kiev
• Urged other Chinese citizens in Ukraine to take shelter
• It comes as China tries to condemn the attack by keeping ally Vladimir Putin out

Source