IT’S VAX, MASK OR EL$E

Hocul’s mandate

Gov. Hochul on Friday ordered all offices, restaurants, shops and other businesses statewide to require that staff and customers either show proof of vaccination or wear masks — otherwise the owners will face a fine.

The new mandate on businesses — many of which are struggling to recover from pandemic lockdowns and battling workforce shortages — will take effect Monday.

Businesses that fail to enforce the rules could be subject to civil and criminal penalties, including a maximum fine of $1,000 for each violation.

It will remain in force until Jan. 15, when it could be extended, officials said. The governor’s office said local health departments will be in charge of enforcement.

“I speak all over the state and they’re asking for help. They’ve done everything they can, I applaud our local governments . . . for doing what they can do,” Hochul said. “I said I’ll give them air cover, I will give them the protection.

“This was completely avoidable — [a] completely avoidable circumstance,” the governor continued. “This is a crisis of the unvaccinated.”

The new rules require businesses to either have their customers and staff mask up before coming inside or to limit entry to those who are fully vaccinated.

Workers at their desks also would be required to show vaccine proof or wear masks while on the clock, state officials later confirmed.

That falls short of Mayor de Blasio’s hotly disputed decision this week to require employees of private companies to be vaccinated before they return to the office, with no testing or mask option.

Hochul’s regulations continue to define inoculations as two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson. The CDC vaccination card and the state’s digital Excelsior Pass program will both count as acceptable forms of vaccination proof.

A top public relations executive in New York called it a big blow to employers’ efforts to get their businesses — and the city — back to normal functioning.

“From a business perspective it’s very damaging for back-to-office,” said Ronn Torossian, who heads the firm 5W Public Relations. “It’s already cold outside and then to sit in an office and wear a mask.

“Businesses have to tread lightly getting people back to the office anyway.”

New York’s biggest business groups endorsed the new proposal as many major employers pointed out they’ve been operating under similar rules for months, though there was some criticism from those who represent smaller retailers.