Boston Mayor Kim Janey Says "Don't Let These Covid-21 Slave Catchers Catch YOU!!!"

wcvb |  Boston's mayor said she wants to encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 but compared the idea of requiring vaccine passports to several unsavory parts of American history.

NewsCenter 5's Sharman Sacchetti posed the question to Mayor Kim Janey Tuesday, after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that proof of COVID-19 vaccination will soon be required for entering restaurants, gyms and indoor venues.

The new requirement, which will be phased in over several weeks in August and September, is the most aggressive step New York has taken yet to curb a surge in cases caused by the delta variant. People will have to show proof that they have had at least one dose of a vaccine.

"The goal here is to convince everyone that this is the time," de Blasio said. "If we’re going to stop the delta variant, the time is now. And that means getting vaccinated right now."

When Janey was asked for her opinion on the idea, she expressed that her administration wants to encourage vaccination but did not explicitly say whether she would consider implementing a similar policy.

"We want to make sure that we are giving every opportunity for folks to get vaccinated. When it comes to what businesses may choose to do, we know that those types of things are difficult to enforce when it comes to vaccine," Janey said. 

She went on to compare vaccine passports or credentials to documentation requirements during slavery and the Jim Crow era. Janey also drew a comparison to the so-called birtherism conspiracy theory.

"There's a long history in this country of people needing to show their papers," said Janey. "During slavery, post-slavery, as recent as you know what immigrant population has to go through here. We heard Trump with the birth certificate nonsense. Here we want to make sure that we are not doing anything that would further create a barrier for residents of Boston or disproportionally impact BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) communities."

She continued, "Instead, you want to lean in heavily with partnering with community organizations, making sure that everyone has access to the lifesaving vaccine. As it relates to people who want to encourage their workforce to get vaccinated. We certainly support that."

Janey became the first Black and first woman to serve as mayor of Boston after Marty Walsh left to become U.S. Secretary of Labor. She is currently running for a full term.

The mayor's remarks drew the scorn of other candidates.