New York May Be Lifting Mask Mandate, but Broadway Keeping It for Audiences

Broadway audience members will still be required to wear masks in theaters at least through April—despite New York's decision to roll back some mask mandates. Meanwhile, spectators, performers, backstage crew and staff will all be required to be vaccinated through the same time period, Deadline reported. The Broadway League, the trade group that represents theater owners and producers, noted on its website that the requirements would remain in place. It currently requires that all guests age 5 and older be vaccinated. "Since reopening Broadway six months ago, we are proud to continue setting the gold standard of COVID health protocols in all our Broadway theatres in New York. We are following guidelines from the CDC and will maintain the mask and vaccine requirements through April 30, 2022," Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, said in a statement to Newsweek. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday during a press conference that the state would be letting its mask mandate expire on Thursday for indoor businesses that do not check vaccination status. However, face coverings will still be required in several indoor spaces such as schools, public transportation, homeless shelters, prisons and, now, Broadway theaters. "I want people to know: this pandemic is not over. It is not over," Hochul said at the briefing. "That's why we're still going to maintain protections for vulnerable populations in areas where people are very contracted because I want people to feel safe." New York is one of several Democratic-led states that has recently eased certain COVID-19 mitigation measures or announced plans to do so. New infections, hospitalizations and deaths in the state are down compared to two weeks ago. In New York City specifically, the current 4.29 percent positivity rate marked a steep decline from the 14.91 percent experienced 28 days ago, according to the New York Department of Health.

New cases are also down overall in the U.S. after the Omicron variant drove a steep surge over the past couple of months. As of February 2, cases were down 53.1 percent from their peak on Jan. 15, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Democratic governors of New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut and Oregon all announced Monday that they would be ending statewide mask mandates. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is also preparing to scale down the state's restrictions and rules on masking indoors and large gatherings. The moves reflect what some health experts and officials believe to be the approach of the "endemic" phase, or a state in which the virus isn't completely eradicated, but the U.S. and world at large can learn to live with and manage it. "We're not going to manage COVID to zero," New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said. "We have to learn how to live with COVID as we move from a pandemic to the endemic phase of this virus." Meanwhile, the owners and operators of Broadway's 41 theatres are opting to keep their vaccine and mask requirements in place for now. But without an extension, the rules are set to expire on April 30. While Hochul announced that New York would be easing its statewide mask rules, counties, cities and businesses will still be permitted to decide their own rules in regard to the virus, Newsweek previously reported. Update 2/9/22, 5:55 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with a statement by the Broadway League and additional background information on Broadway's mask and vaccination guidelines, as well as New York's easing of some mask mandates.

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