New York City Will Require Vaccination Proof For Indoor Activities

New York City will start requiring proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for all indoor activities including restaurants and gyms, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday.

“If you want to participate in our society fully, it’s time to get vaccinated,” de Blasio said during a press conference.

The program, which will launch on August 16 and become more strictly enforced starting Sept. 13, is the latest effort to get New Yorkers vaccinated as the dangerous delta variant of the coronavirus continues to spread throughout the U.S. So far, about 66% of adults are fully vaccinated in the city.

The policy is the first of its kind in the U.S., and follows the leads of countries including France and Italy, The New York Times reported.

“To so many people, this is going to be a life-saving act,” de Blasio said. “It’s going to guarantee a much higher level of vaccination in the city, and that is the key to recovery in this city.”

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.