Patrons at indoor spaces in Boston including restaurants, bars, nightclubs, fitness facilities, and entertainment venues will be required to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 under a new policy Mayor Michelle Wu announced Monday.
Wu said the policy, dubbed the “B Together” initiative, will apply to both customers and employees. As of January 15, 2022, people ages 12 and up will need to show proof of at least one dose, with two doses required starting February 15.
“We’re also setting dates for children to be vaccinated to enter these spaces beginning in March,” Wu said.
Wu said the availability of vaccines makes a “key difference” between the early days of the pandemic, which featured widespread, government-mandated shutdowns of economic and social activities, and the COVID-19 surge now taking place.
“This step will help increase our vaccination numbers, which we know is the best way to keep our community safe and thriving,” Wu said. “Although Boston’s vaccination rates have been high, we continue to see serious disparities by race and by age, allowing Omicron and other new variants to spread in our communities. Vaccines are the most powerful tool in fighting this pandemic, once again, and they’re the most powerful tool to allow us to recover as a city and to truly be together.”
Boston has had a policy requiring its city workers to be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing, and Wu said that policy will be changed to remove the testing option “along the same timeline” as the new proof-of-vaccination requirement for indoor spaces.
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