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“New York City is one of the localities within the state of New York, just as Erie County is,” she noted.

The Biden administration tried to set a federal mandate that all large employers must require workers to get vaccinated or submit to weekly testing starting in January, but that measure is stalled in court.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, issued an “emergency” rule earlier this month requiring vaccinations for employees of companies with at least 100 workers, although it exempts those who work at home or exclusively outdoors.

Georgia M. Pestana, New York City’s corporation counsel, said at a news conference on Monday that the city’s health commissioner clearly has the legal authority to issue a mandate to protect New Yorkers during a health crisis. She argued that the legal questions over the Biden administration’s mandate were different and centered on whether OSHA had the proper authority.

Kathryn Wylde, the president of a prominent business group, the Partnership for New York City, said she was surprised by the announcement by Mr. de Blasio.

“We were blindsided,” she said. “There’s no forewarning, no discussion, no idea about whether it’s legal or who he expects to enforce it.”

Roughly half of Manhattan office employers have enacted vaccine mandates, she said, though some policies include testing options and medical and religious exemptions.