After the return of NBA matches at Madison Square Garden, then the reopening this Friday of some cinemas, New York may soon be able to celebrate the resumption of the performing arts: the governor announced on Wednesday that theaters could reopen on the 2nd April, with a still limited capacity.
To read also: "We have no visibility" on the reopening of cultural places, according to Roselyne Bachelot
The rooms of the American cultural capital, closed since March 12, 2020, will be able to reopen at 33% of capacity or 100 people at most, with the wearing of the mask and compulsory distancing, announced the governor Andrew Cuomo during a press briefing.
Outdoor shows can accommodate up to 200 people.
The thresholds will be raised for rooms capable of testing their spectators beforehand - to 150 people indoors or 500 outdoors.
Read also: In New York, the fall of Governor Andrew Cuomo
With such thresholds, big Broadway productions - like
Frozen
,
The Lion King
, etc.
- "
will not be able to leave yet
", indicated to AFP Martine Sainvil, spokesperson for Broadway, without giving a new date.
"
But we are happy that some artistic venues, including some theaters, can reopen their doors and give the public a taste for what we have been missing so much from these dark months,
" she added.
Hospitalizations down
Some prestigious venues, such as the Apollo Theater in Harlem, or the huge hall of Park Avenue Armory on the Upper East Side, could also seize the opportunity.
The announcement of this conditional green light comes as the number of cases and hospitalizations due to the coronavirus are down, in New York State as in other American states, against the backdrop of the acceleration of the campaign. vaccination and arrival of a third vaccine, that of Johnson & Johnson.
Read also: Covid-19: concerns raised by the New York variant
While some states have begun to lift a series of restrictions, such as Texas which announced on Tuesday the end of the wearing of the compulsory mask (which Joe Biden criticized, calling the measure a
“Neanderthal”
reflex
), the governor of New York called for remaining vigilant, especially because of uncertainties related to new variants of the coronavirus.
“
In my opinion, some states are going too far, too fast
,” he said.
You release the restrictions too quickly, and you're going to see the beast arise again.
"
