New York governor signs bill criminalizing fake COVID-19 vaccination cards

(CNN) — New York’s politician signed authorities Wednesday criminalizing fake COVID-19 vaccination cards, according to a quality merchandise from her office.

The caller instrumentality makes the falsification of cards a misdemeanor and creates a caller felony of “computer tampering successful the 3rd grade for intentional entering, alteration oregon demolition of ‘computer material’ regarding COVID-19 vaccine provisions,” Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office said.

The instrumentality comes amid a fresh tightening of rules requiring impervious of vaccination in cities crossed the United States — including New York — arsenic the omicron coronavirus variant spreads rapidly up of the Christmas holiday.

“Individuals who misrepresent their vaccination history, not lone jeopardize their ain health, but the wellness of each those they travel into interaction with. This authorities ensures that arsenic New York opens up and galore businesses take to trust connected checking vaccination status, the falsification of vaccination records volition not beryllium tolerated,” the merchandise from Hochul’s bureau states.

The measure was signed arsenic portion of a bundle that besides gives schools improved entree to the statewide immunization database. It besides directs the state’s wellness commissioner to survey the transportation of aesculapian attraction successful effect to the pandemic, and it directs the state’s Department of Financial Services to survey however the pandemic affected underserved areas, and tiny businesses and minority- and women-owned businesses getting loans.

“The singular easiness astatine which it appears that New Yorkers could falsify vaccination records to feign compliance is astonishing. This caller instrumentality volition undoubtedly assistance prosecutors and different instrumentality enforcement clasp radical accountable for the harm they are doing to nationalist health,” authorities Assembly subordinate Jeffrey Dinowitz said.

“Countless employers, schools, tiny businesses, and communities are relying connected genuine impervious of vaccination status,” authorities Sen. Anna Kaplan said. “It’s ne'er been much urgent that we support this process from fraud.”