Mayor Ras J. Baraka today announced that he will sign an Executive Order on Monday, December 27, requiring proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for customers 5 years of age and older to enter certain establishments and facilities.

The order will commence by requiring anyone attending public New Year’s Eve events and parties to show proof of vaccination.  

By January 10, persons entering a facility or business must show proof of at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose; and be fully vaccinated three weeks later.  

“Newark’s latest three-day test positivity rate has spiked to 27.16 percent. Guided by this data, the City of Newark is taking firm and aggressive action to prevent its spread and protect our residents and workers. Newark will continue to meet the challenge of COVID-19 with determination,” said Mayor Baraka, who yesterday tweeted that he tested positive for COVID on Tuesday.

“Thankfully my wife and son tested negative. By the grace of God I’m okay and have no symptoms at all. I’m going to retest on Friday and Monday as well, and I thank everyone for your well wishes. Please wear your masks and get vaccinated.”

Establishments affected by this latest mayoral Executive Order must prominently post signage at their entrances notifying the public of the vaccination entry requirement.

The executive order applies as follows:

• Restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, including taverns, coffee shops and fast-food establishments that have seating
• Breweries, wineries, and distillery tasting rooms
• Mixed-use facilities
• Food courts
• Indoor entertainment establishments, including nightclubs, hookah bars, pool and billiard halls, and cigar bars
• Concert, and sporting venues
• Movie theatres
• Bowling alleys
• Indoor exercise and recreational establishments, including exercise facilities, dance, yoga, and Pilates studios
• Any facilities used for group fitness classes
• Indoor event and meeting establishments, including hotel common rooms, banquet halls, conference centers meeting facilities, convention centers, auditoriums
• Shared work facilities

The following establishments do not have to require proof of vaccination of its patrons:

• Houses of worship
• Grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and food service establishments providing charitable food services
• Pharmacies, medical offices, urgent care centers, or hospitals
• Hardware stores, and retail establishments where people tend to be in motion and not standing or seated in close proximity to others for long periods of time
• Private meeting spaces in residences or office buildings
• Governmental facilities; warming and cooling centers, day service facilities for homeless persons, shelters serving homeless persons or victims of domestic violence
• Election polling places
• Other facilities as exempted by the Department of Health

 The proof of vaccination requirement of this order does not apply to the following individuals:

• Individuals entering a covered establishment for a quick and limited purpose (for example, placing an order for takeout, picking up an order, or making a delivery)
• A person entitled by law to a reasonable accommodation due to a medical condition or a sincerely held religious belief

This is the second executive order Mayor Baraka will sign in a week to fight COVID-19. The previous one reinstated an indoor mask mandate in all public facilities, amid a surge of new cases of COVID-19 in the City of Newark and the emergence of the COVID-19 Omicron variant. It also required that patrons be seated at a bar and wear masks unless they are actually eating or drinking.