The New York City private-sector COVID vaccine mandate that has kept Kyrie Irving from playing in home games this season is reportedly set to be lifted on Thursday.
According to Politico’s Sally Goldenberg, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is ‘poised to announce on Thursday’ that unvaccinated professional athletes will be allowed to play in the city.
Per Politico, Mayor Adams will reverse the private-sector vaccine mandate on Thursday specifically for performers and pro athletes.
This would be good news not only for Irving as the Nets continue their playoff push, but also for unvaccinated Mets and Yankees players, whom, under the current mandate, would not have been allowed to play in home games at Citi Field and Yankee Stadium.
The mayor lessened some restrictions for daycare centers in the city on Tuesday, but when asked about the city’s sports teams, he said then that the teams would have to wait.
“So, right now we’re gonna take some complaints,” Adams said. “But when this is all said and done, people are going to realize this is a thoughtful administration and we got it right. And so baseball, basketball, businesses, all of those things, they have to wait until that layer comes and right now we’re announcing just our two- to four-year-olds.”
The Mets home opener is set for April 15 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, while the Yankees start their season at home against the Boston Red Sox on April 7.
For the Nets, their next home game is this Sunday, when they host the Charlotte Hornets at 7:30 p.m.