Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new policy Wednesday for New York City public health care workers.

All health care workers must now get vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing beginning Aug. 2.

"This is about keeping people safe and stopping the delta variant," says de Blasio. "Every single one of those employees has a choice. Get vaccinated -- the better choice -- or get tested weekly.

The policy impacts Long Islanders who commute into the city to work in health care.

"As a health care worker, we are putting ourselves out there and putting ourselves on the front lines," says Dr. Mundeep Kainth, a pediatric infectious disease physician at Northwell Health. "We are asking our fellow health care workers to really jump in and join this fight against covid and get their vaccine and encourage others to get their vaccines as well."

The New York state Nurses Association issued a response to the mayor's mandate saying, "Vaccines play a vital role in public health and a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine will, at a minimum, decrease the number of people experiencing the severe effects of the virus and save countless lives."

News 12 reached out to County Executives Laura Curran and Steve Bellone. Both say they are not mandating vaccines for health care workers but strongly encourage people to get vaccinated.