“Look at what mandates have allowed us to achieve: Our schools are safe, our restaurants are thriving, Broadway is back, because people go in there and they know they’re safe,” de Blasio said. “Everyone’s vaccinated, and it’s actually kept them thriving while keeping the Covid levels low here.”
De Blasio, a Democrat whose term ends Jan. 1, said business owners in the city would prefer a vaccine mandate over shutdowns as the winter months continue on and the spread of the Omicron variant worsens.
Hutchinson, a Republican, pushed back, saying education was a more effective way to increase vaccinations — one that does not impose on the private sector.
“On the issue of vaccination by and large, Republicans, Democrats, everybody are together on that, and education works,” Hutchinson said. “Here in Arkansas, I had town meetings all across the state, bringing education efforts, encouraging that.”
While both leaders suggested differing approaches to getting more people vaccinated, they agreed that Covid vaccines were both safe and effective.