Two days before the International Theater Day, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday that he will reserve exclusive vaccines for the city’s theater sector to try to resucitar a Broadway, which has been closed since mid-March 2020.
“It is time to raise the curtain and bring Broadway back,” De Blasio said at a press conference, in which he revealed that a center will be installed on Broadway in the next 4 weeks in which will be inoculated to all who work in the theater sector.
In addition, there will be mobile vaccination units for all those who are part of works off-Broadway, as a circuit of smaller theaters and with lower budgets is known.
Also, the New York City has in mind deploying mobile covid test units near Broadway, and is developing plans for crowd management before and after construction takes place.
Tony Award-winning actor André De Shields accompanied De Blasio during the press conference, in which he stressed that “Broadway is the cultural backbone” of New York City.
“Today’s announcement is an important recognition by New York City that a robust theater industry means a healthy and strong economy,” said Fair Actors Association Executive Director Mary McColl.
“Mayor De Blasio clearly understands that we cannot implement social distancing in our work, which makes the availability of vaccines and tests critical for our workplace to be safe,” added McColl, who stressed that his organization has been in talks with New York City authorities throughout the pandemic.
Although officially the Broadway plays have been canceled until next time may 31, a specific date has not been given for its reopening, while several organizations, such as the Broadway League, point out that it will probably be this fall.
Just two weeks ago, Broadway marked a closing year with an outdoor show at Times Square, entitled “We Will Be Back” (We will be back).
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