NYC Ending Covid Restrictions March 7th

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/27/22 at 5:35pm

Announcement From Eric Adams

 

I um, I don’t know how I feel about this. On one hand - HOORAY!! On the other hand - JFC. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 2/27/22 at 5:50pm

Same, Jordan. 

I wonder what the League will decide restriction-wise beyond April 30. 

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 2/27/22 at 5:57pm

CW: personal opinion 

My bet would be that unless we are back to ICUs filling up they will be dropped after April 30th. 
How much longer are they going to make the employees on the lowest rung of the ladder the Covid Rule enforcement.

end of personal opinion.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 2/27/22 at 5:57pm

Dear unvaccinated human beings,

You are not welcome here. We made it through the last two years of living hell by doing the work that you think you are exempt from. Don't come to our City.

Sincerely,

A Proud New Yorker

 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 2/27/22 at 6:28pm

Sutton Ross said: "Dear unvaccinated human beings,

You are not welcome here. We made it through the last two years of living hell by doing the work that you think you are exempt from. Don't come to our City.

Sincerely,

A Proud New Yorker"

Except they ARE welcome as of 3/7. I wish they weren't but that's a fantasy.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 2/27/22 at 6:31pm

Sadly those unvaccinated people (a lot of them) keep our beloved industry afloat.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/27/22 at 6:31pm

My fear is that the unvaccinated will rush here now that they can. I mean, that was always going to happen at some point but now that it’s here it’s scary. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 2/27/22 at 6:42pm

What's the fear?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 2/27/22 at 6:45pm

Venues, restaurants, and stores are permitted to enforce their own policies so masks will continue regardless of what mandate is issued.  You can roam maskless anywhere you please except at these places that will still require vaccination proof and masks.  

[HogansHero]

Posted: 2/27/22 at 7:41pm

Also remember that the unions will have to sign off on no masks and no vaccines in theatres.

My sense of producers is that there are 2 schools of thought. One is that the current rules bring theatregoers into seats. The other is that the current rules keep the unwashed out of seats. My thinking is that, even if the unions follow the city's rules, a place like MTC may view lessening of mandates to be an audience killer. We shall see. 

[Wick3]

Posted: 2/27/22 at 9:24pm

Wow! I'm not sure whether the covid checkers (the ones who check your ID and vaccination card as you enter the theater) are paid by the theater or by the production, but those will be at least 6-8 people per show out of a job (either after Mar 7th or after April 30th.)

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 2/27/22 at 9:59pm

The vaccine and mask mandates for private-sector businesses will continue for the foreseeable future, as of right now. This includes all Broadway houses. 
 

Don’t get so nervous just yet about the end of restrictions. 

[Theater3232]

Posted: 2/27/22 at 10:41pm

The NYC private-sector employer mandates are for employees, not patrons.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 2/28/22 at 4:00am

Wick3 said: "Wow! I'm not sure whether the covid checkers (the ones who check your ID and vaccination card as you enter the theater) are paid by the theater or by the production, but those will be at least 6-8 people per show out of a job (either after Mar 7th or after April 30th.)"

It's neither, they're paid by outside companies that the different theatres hire. 

[joevitus]

Posted: 2/28/22 at 4:07am

Wick3 said: "Wow! I'm not sure whether the covid checkers (the ones who check your ID and vaccination card as you enter the theater) are paid by the theater or by the production, but those will be at least 6-8 people per show out of a job (either after Mar 7th or after April 30th.)"

Those jobs were never intended to be permanent. Surely the people filling those positions knew that?

[joevitus]

Posted: 2/28/22 at 4:12am

RippedMan said: "Sadly those unvaccinated people (a lot of them) keep our beloved industry afloat."

It's that the result of city government? Since the mid-70's, with the I Love New York commericials, New York seems to have focused on tourist dollars as the city's main source of revenue. Of course, New York has always had tourists, but only since the mid-70's has the city seemed to depend on those tourist dollars to survive. Is there any way to change that? I love Fran Lebowitz's comment that immigrants make a culture, tourists destroy it, even if, admittedly, I've only been a New York tourist, never a resident. 

[leefowler]

Posted: 2/28/22 at 8:32am

We should keep in mind that if someone wants to see a show wearing two masks and a plastic shield, I'm sure they'd be allowed.

It's hard to know if this is too soon, I hope not. But theater won't fully return until masks are gone and tourists are back.

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 2/28/22 at 10:32am

I hope the BWAY league keeps the vax requirements in place until the end of this year, but make masks optional. I would be more comfortable being around fully vaxxed people and not having to wear a mask. As one person said in this thread, unvaxxed people are not and should not be welcome in NYC. 

[ElephantLoveMedley]

Posted: 2/28/22 at 10:44am

If Broadway was really committed to following the science and listening to our public health experts, they would eliminate the mask requirement immediately. The CDC is currently designating New York County as a low-risk community level county which means, according to them, "People may choose to mask at any time. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask."

The industry's decision to maintain the mask mandate any longer is completely unnecessary. Literally per the CDC.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 2/28/22 at 11:26am

ElephantLoveMedley said: "The industry's decision to maintain the mask mandate any longer is completely unnecessary. Literally per the CDC."

You misapprehend "necessary." What the CDC (and science) have said is that the mask mandate is not epidemiologically necessary. In other words, that the health infrastructure is not challenged by the remaining cases. But that's not the calculus that applies to the mask mandates in theatres. That's a business calculus and, right now, the assessment is that the elimination of the mask mandate will be bad for business. Is that calculus likely to exchange (at least in some theatres)? Yes. But to say that the mandate is "completely unnecessary" is not correct.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 2/28/22 at 11:40pm

If anyone is actually concerned about getting COVID in public settings and wearing anything less than a KN95 mask then it's just their paranoia getting to them, not concern for COVID. 

Like I admire the folks who are so happy to profess that they haven't had a cold in 2 years because of scaled back contact and having masks... but deciding that you're going to go on wearing a mask beyond this pandemic regardless of whether you're sick or not I have to question the decision making. You have to allow yourself to become sick. It's how you manage to ward off worse illnesses. If you're not exposing yourself to illness your immune system has no means of reinforcing itself. You might as well live in a plastic bubble at that point.

[PopAria]

Posted: 3/1/22 at 12:32pm

HogansHero said: "ElephantLoveMedley said: "The industry's decision to maintain the mask mandate any longer is completely unnecessary. Literally per the CDC."

You misapprehend "necessary." What the CDC (and science) have said is that the mask mandate is notepidemiologicallynecessary. In other words, that the health infrastructure is not challenged by the remaining cases. But that's not the calculus that applies to the mask mandates in theatres. That's a business calculus and, right now, the assessment is that the elimination of the mask mandate will be bad for business. Is that calculus likely to exchange (at least in some theatres)? Yes. But to say that the mandate is "completely unnecessary" is not correct."

Allowing maskless and unvaccinated people might be better for business since you're not restricting your audience. 

Why would it matter if an unvaccinated person comes to the show? Aren't you still vaccinated and masked anyway? No one is making you take the mask off.   

Broadway has bigger issues than covid at the moment.  

[starcatchers]

Posted: 3/1/22 at 12:51pm

joevitus said: "Wick3 said: "Wow! I'm not sure whether the covid checkers (the ones who check your ID and vaccination card as you enter the theater) are paid by the theater or by the production, but those will be at least 6-8 people per show out of a job (either after Mar 7th or after April 30th.)"

Those jobs were never intended to be permanent. Surely the people filling those positions knew that?"

Yes, we were aware, but there is a definite difference between "I have six weeks or so to secure another job" and "Hey, you're out of a job after next week."

 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 3/1/22 at 1:43pm

PopAria said: "Allowing maskless and unvaccinated people might be better for business since you're not restricting your audience."

You seem to be missing the point of "That's a business calculus and, right now, the assessment is that the elimination of the mask mandate will be bad for business." 

[Luscious]

Posted: 3/1/22 at 1:52pm

Personally, I'm ready to say goodbye to mask mandates - mainly because I think they're minimally effective and most of the regulations pertaining to them are senseless and contradictory - but I think it's too soon to do away with proof of vaccination requirements. I, for one, feel secure attending an indoor event where proof of vaccination is required. Knowing everyone in attendance has been vaccinated provided a sense of comfort. Ironically, come March 7, I'll think twice before making plans and be less inclined to go out to a restaurant, bar, club, etc., than I've been in the past 6 to 8 months.