Delta Variant and Broadway- Page 9

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 7/27/21 at 11:04pm

The CDC also has warned we are merely a few mutations away until current vaccines may be rendered ineffective and 2020's mass shutdowns and nihilist lifestyle could potentially return.

Not enough people are getting vaccinated, and I'm not sure if many more will. The future of live performance looks bleak.

 

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 7/27/21 at 11:18pm

Jordan C: I think we'll need to wait another week or so to see what kind of impact "freedom day" has on the wave in the UK. I'm hoping it's minimal, because the decrease in new cases over the past few days has been really a good thing. It even decreased today, and Tuesday is usually an increase from Sunday/Monday. Dr. Gottlieb seems to be encouraged by the trend, and he's been pretty candid through the pandemic. Let's hope the downward trend keeps up.

Jordan L: STOP.

[bway0]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 2:38am

Jordan Levinson said: "The CDC also has warned we are merely a few mutations away until current vaccines may berendered ineffective and 2020's mass shutdowns and nihilist lifestyle could potentially return.

Not enough people are getting vaccinated, and I'm not sure if many more will. The future of live performance looks bleak.

"

The survey you are referring to was released in March and was not released by the CDC. They may have mentioned it in passing but the collected data was from another agency. No mention of mass shut downs but correct me if I’m wrong. That said, IF the survey data holds true, then we will need a yearly booster shot. Similar to a yearly flu shot. The flu has been around for a hundred years and mutates every year. We get a flu shot to help fight off the current year’s new flu strain. The Covid vaccines were never made as a solution to the problem, just a stopgap. 
 

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 3:15am

bway0 said: "Jordan Levinson said: "The CDC also has warned we are merely a few mutations away until current vaccines may berendered ineffective and 2020's mass shutdowns and nihilist lifestyle could potentially return.

Not enough people are getting vaccinated, and I'm not sure if many more will. The future of live performance looks bleak.

"

The survey you are referring to was released in March andwas not released by the CDC. They may have mentioned it in passing but the collected data was from another agency. No mention of mass shut downs but correct me if I’m wrong.That said, IF the survey data holds true,then we will need a yearly booster shot. Similar to a yearly flu shot. The flu has been around for a hundred years and mutates every year. Weget a flu shot to help fight off the current year’s new flu strain. The Covid vaccines were never made as a solution to the problem, just a stopgap.
"

Dr. Walensky did warn about the "few mutations away" thing yesterday (possibly to try and scare people into getting vaccinated).

She did not, however, mention mass shutdowns, or anything like that. Jordan is simply spreading doom-and-gloom speculation (seemingly a favorite pastime of this on here) that is both unfounded, and insensitive to people's mental health. He could easily keep that stuff to himself, but chooses not to.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 9:48am

@JLevinson you are misreading the info as egregiously as the anti-vaxxers. And as always it is important to distinguish between national epidemiology and regional data. What I think the anti-vaxxers are causing is inconvenience-oriented policy to persuade them to stop being so stupid. Such policies will prevent anything approaching your chicken little nonsense. Expect to see more and more vaccine mandates via employers and the like, vaccine passports that impact anti-vaxxers' lifestyles, and inconveniences for them at every turn. That means not just making Broadway a vaccinated world, but making air travel the same and having those parts of the country that have largely solved covid (e.g., the northeast and the west coast) imposing restrictions (passports for hotels, currently under consideration in areas) that make it clear that as much as we want tourists, we want vaccinated ones, and the economic effects of losing the idiots is not nearly as great as anything approaching your bleak perspective.

[jlindsey865]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 9:55am

Bring on the vaccine requirements, baby!

If you aren't vaccinated, you shouldn't be allowed in theaters, places, shopping malls, etc. unless you are wearing a mask.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 10:25am

jlindsey865 said: "If you aren't vaccinated, you shouldn't be allowed in theaters, places, shopping malls, etc. unless you are wearing a mask."

That's the current rule (now amended for high risk areas to everyone) but what I am talking about is that those not vaccinated will be precluded altogether, as is the case on Broadway. Translated: Springsteen requires vax but not masks. Whether the mask will again be required is what's at issue but it is not much of an issue. 

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 2:20pm

I vote mandatory vaccines and masks on Broadway this fall. The more of those protocols that are in place, the less likely we have to shut down again, as far as I see it.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 2:52pm

Roundabout’s website says proof of vaccination or proof of a negative test will be required for entry into all their shows.

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 3:10pm

And it is great to hear that all of the theaters are updating their air and filtration systems. That can't be cheap, but even without Covid it's great to know we are moving things like that forward.  

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 3:28pm

All positive things. Looking forward! 

[jlindsey865]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 3:36pm

While the Delta variant is alarming, the vaccine is very effective. I do hope that more places will take the approach of requiring proof of vaccine before entering as opposed to widespread mask mandates.

[whatever2]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 4:12pm

San Francisco Opera has just announced that proof of vaccination will be required to attend performances.

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 4:18pm

I completely agree on requiring proof of vaccination. But I also think that masking during the Delta wave is a small, non-invasive way to mitigate spread. And if it can keep businesses (Broadway included) open, I think it can only help.

But there's a flip side to that. And I literally just had this conversation with a friend who is a cast member in a Broadway show reopening in the coming months. Masking is a band-aid. It's something that we should do during this current wave, to help alleviate the effects of the wave. But it isn't a permanent solution. Vaccination is. So while I support masking requirements as a temporary measure, it absolutely can not cloud the message that the tenable long-term solution is vaccines. Also, on that note, while we can probably become more lax with masking after the Delta wave passes, we absolutely must continue to be assertive with vaccinations. When not in a big wave, masking becomes less important (if vaccinated), but the importance of vaccination remains the same.

Edit: Just a very quick tangent, we desperately need the FDA to fully approve the mRNA vaccines. That will allow for even more mandates.

Updated On: 7/28/21 at 04:18 PM

[fosterfan2]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 5:10pm

BroadwayRox3588 said: "I vote mandatory vaccinesandmasks on Broadway this fall. The more of those protocols that are in place, the less likely we have to shut down again, as far as I see it."

I wish that would happen here in Atlanta so I could see national touring companies,But it won't,sadly. And I'm not able to travel to NYC at the moment. Ga. is so forking backwards that it makes me mad. And I'm not the only one. It's so pretty here,but the politics suck.

 

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 5:15pm

fosterfan2 said: "BroadwayRox3588 said: "I vote mandatory vaccinesandmasks on Broadway this fall. The more of those protocols that are in place, the less likely we have to shut down again, as far as I see it."

I wish that would happen here in Atlanta so I could see national touring companies,But it won't,sadly. And I'm not able to travel to NYC at the moment. Ga. is so forking backwards that it makes me mad. And I'm not the only one. It's so pretty here,but the politics suck."

Couldn't individual venues require vaccinations and/or masks? Admittedly I don't know a lot about the most recent politics in GA (aside from their egregious assault on voting rights) but is there something in place that would prohibit venues from making those requirements?

[blaxx]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 5:17pm

BroadwayRox3588 said: "fosterfan2 said: "BroadwayRox3588 said: "I vote mandatory vaccinesandmasks on Broadway this fall. The more of those protocols that are in place, the less likely we have to shut down again, as far as I see it."

I wish that would happen here in Atlanta so I could see national touring companies,But it won't,sadly. And I'm not able to travel to NYC at the moment. Ga. is so forking backwards that it makes me mad. And I'm not the only one. It's so pretty here,but the politics suck."

Couldn't individual venues require vaccinations and/or masks? Admittedly I don't know a lot about the most recent politics in GA (aside from their egregious assault on voting rights) but is there something in place that would prohibit venues from making those requirements?"

You'd think that private venues would be able to set their own rules, unless it's deemed discriminatory.

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 5:48pm

At this point if what I’m seeing is correct. My predictions are quite bleak:

-Delayed openings for august and September
- closures or pauses do to exposures
- many many shows closing this winter.

At this rate. The industry is at a loss.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 6:24pm

Jesus.

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 6:28pm

I have seen that in exactly zero places. Aside from the winter closures, which is conjecture still.

Whatever happens this winter, the reality is that everyone, the theatre industry included, needs to learn how to live with this virus. Period.

Updated On: 7/28/21 at 06:28 PM

[stoptheworld38]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 6:49pm

If Broadway does in fact require proof of vaccines (which it sounds like they probably will) and if the vaccines are in fact as effective against Delta as they say (over 90%) I don't think there's much concern - or much need for a mask mandate for everyone. Vaccine requirements and negative test/mask requirement for those who are unable or refuse to get vaccinated seems like the way to go. They should also realize that even if they do mandate masks for all, a significant number of vaccinated people are bound to take them off as soon as they're seated and the lights go down. (As someone with autism and sensory issues who finds it very uncomfortable and exhausting, both physically and mentally, to wear a mask for an extended period - and who has been fully vaccinated since April - I will very likely be among them). And realistically, there's no logical way they're going to fully be able to enforce it anyway once the theatre is dark and the show has started.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/28/21 at 10:57pm

BroadwayRox3588 said: "I have seen that in exactly zero places. Aside from the winter closures, which is conjecture still.

Whatever happens this winter, the reality is that everyone, the theatre industry included,needs to learn how to live with this virus. Period."

This is the reality. We need to stop pretending that we don't understand how viruses work. COVID will be around FOREVER. There will be more variants. The only thing that's going to protect anyone is getting the vaccine. If you're immunosuppressed, your precautions should reflect that. I place a good chunk of the blame on the CDC for running to say everybody could drop the masks only having them now reneg on that knowing what was bound to happen. But masks aren't going to matter when you're shoulder to shoulder in a Broadway theatre. It's just not. It's great they're improving their filtration and AC (Which is long overdue anyway), but you're still not sitting an open air park. 

[saxpower]

Posted: 7/29/21 at 12:06am

Of course, the other issue here is that the records of our vaccinations is the card with the info handwritten on them.   They aren't exactly hard to fake.  I'm not sure there's going to be a way to go back and have some kind of official certification for people who've had the vaccine.  Plus some stated have outright banned "vaccine passports."  Then again personally, if there now IS a way to provide something more official (assuming most states participate), and some state refuses to participate, part of me wouldn't mind the theaters saying "unfortunately, if your state is not participating in the passport program, you can't see shows. If you don't like it, talk to your governor or legislature".  In fairness, I live in a state (Delaware) where I'm sure the state would participate (we're a blue state, and the Republicans here are more moderate and really haven't created many issues). 

This does NOT mean the theatres should not require proof of vaccination.  Its just that it may not be a guarantee everyone is vaccinated. 

It does lead to an interesting question- will anti-vaxers create fake vaccination cards so they can go where they want to, or will they instead decide to "fight the principle" and make the kinds of scene some anti-maskers did. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/29/21 at 12:33am

First, I believe that the venn diagram of people who might go to the theatre and people would commit a felony by creating a fake card is pretty unpopulated. In addition, it is a fact that the venn diagram of Broadway ticket buyers and unvaccinated people is pretty unpopulated. Vax records are fairly easy to verify in states that don't make it difficult. (And note that these same states have never made it difficult as to any other vax, but that's another matter of silliness.) In NYS the excelsior pass verifies the health dept records as a part of its process. Also, other entities such as Clear that have created multi-state health passes get access to this data. Moreover, health systems in which you have records obtain this info in the normal course. Thus, NYU added my vaccination details (date, brand, serial number) to my health record and that system's record can be used as verification.

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/29/21 at 12:39am

saxpower said: "It does lead to an interesting question- will anti-vaxers create fake vaccination cards so they can go where they want to, or will they instead decide to "fight the principle" and make the kinds of scene some anti-maskers did."

People are already creating fake cards. A few people got caught earlier this year. They suspected people were copying them from people who jumped on social media and posted pics of their cards. (That's why there was such a big thing over not posting them) Also there was the guy out west that got caught stealing hundreds of blank cards from the vaccination site he worked at. It's all happening.