White House Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said that he does not want to take sides when asked about New York City Mayor Eric Adams exempting entertainers and athletes from the city’s vaccine mandate.
The mayor has been facing extreme backlash for exempting those industries while still forcing mandates on city workers.
Fauci made the comments on Friday while speaking to Neil Cavuto on Fox News Channel’s “Your World.”
Fauci is asked how he feels about vaccine mandate exemptions for athletes and entertainers in New York:
“I don’t want to be taking sides on that…” pic.twitter.com/2NlSXcnPtb
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“Well, you know, Neil, that’s obviously a delicate situation in New York. I really don’t want to be out there out there outguessing the mayor, who I’m sure is trying to do what’s best for the city. But he made that decision to pull back on the requirement for vaccination for certain entertainers and sports figures and some of the athletic teams,” Fauci said. “I mean, as you mentioned, there is a pushback on that, that that might be unfair to others. But I’m not there on the ground in New York. I don’t have a good feel for what the situation is. So, it really is a tough problem. So, I’d rather not–.”
The host followed up by asking, “but just why couldn’t it be for everybody, doctor? I guess I’m saying if you’re going to not require vaccinations for athletes and entertainers, do the same for everybody else, or if you are, include the athletes and the entertainers, be consistent. What do you think?”
“Well, again, Neil, I don’t want to be taking sides on that. I think that the mayor had a difficult decision to make, as you mentioned, when you introduced the topic. There’s been a lot of pushback on that. Because some are seeing it as unfair. You can understand that. But you also have to look at the mayor’s side. Again, it’s a tough call. It’s really a tough call,” Fauci stated.
Adams claims that he made the decision to help the city’s economy.
“By putting our home teams on equal playing field, we increase their chances of winning and then has a real impact on our city,” Adams said. “This is just not fans in the stands, but it is people in the stores.”
The Patrolmen’s Benevolence Association, the city’s largest police union, has blasted Adams for the move.
“We have been suing the city for months over its arbitrary and capricious vaccine mandate – this is exactly what we are talking about,” PBA President Pat Lynch said in a statement. “If the mandate isn’t necessary for famous people, then it’s not necessary for the cops who are protecting our city in the middle of a crime crisis. While celebrities were in lockdown, New York City police officers were on the street throughout the pandemic, working without adequate PPE and in many cases contracting and recovering from COVID themselves. They don’t deserve to be treated like second-class citizens now.”
