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NYC Reacts To COVID-19 Spike With Canceled Broadway Shows & Closed Restaurants

NYC Reacts To COVID-19 Spike With Canceled Broadway Shows & Closed RestaurantsIt seems like yesterday that New York City reawakened – Broadway started opening its shows again, restaurants were flourishing and the general mood was good. However, with a recent spike in COVID-19 cases, some Broadway shows are once again closing, along with the temporary closing of certain restaurants, due to infections among staff.

New York City struck by COVID-19 cases again

On December 17, New York City saw 4,561 new COVID-19 cases, along with 143 new hospitalizations due to the virus. By mid-afternoon on Friday, the spike in cases was clear, due to long lines of people at COVID-19 test sites and long waiting times, sometimes as much as one to one-and-a-half hours.

The city immediately took note and responded by setting up more mobile testing sites. On top of this, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio also announced on social media that the city will distribute a million KN95 masks, along with 500,000 at-home tests for free to the public.

Omicron variant strikes the city

The new rise in COVID-19 infections comes from the arrival of the Omicron variant that is more contagious than previous variants. Governments across the world are bracing for an onslaught of new cases by launching new restrictions in the hope of curtailing the spread.

Meanwhile, in New York City, closures are happening all over the city in response to the new wave of infections, including Broadway shows and restaurants.

Broadway cancels performances

TheaterMania has compiled a list on their website, which states that at least eight performances have been canceled due to COVID-19 cases among staff. In fact, at Moulin Rouge, the audience had reportedly already been seated when the announcement came that the show would not be happening.

Michael Hull, a New York producer, performer and Broadway photographer tweeted from the theater as it happened.

Performances were also canceled at the Broadway production of Mrs. Doubtfire through December 19. Meanwhile, Hamilton and Moulin Rouge canceled performances on December 16 and 17. On top of this, MJ, Tina and Jagged Little Pill also canceled performances for December 16.

Radio City’s famous Christmas Spectacular, which features the Rockettes dancers, made an announcement on Twitter that it would be canceling its four December 17 performances due to a new COVID-19 case in its production. That particular show is highly popular with visitors to the city. They apologized for the cancelation, noting that announcements will be made about future shows in the near future.

NYC restaurants affected by COVID-19

New breakthrough cases have also hit the New York restaurant scene, with the New York Times reporting that more than a dozen restaurants have temporarily closed their doors due to staff members contracting the virus.

New Yorkers are likely wondering whether the latest wave of infections will affect the iconic New Year’s Eve Ball Drop in Times Square. So far, no announcement has been made, but plans for revelers to be fully vaccinated do appear to be on for now.

Restrictions in New York City

Anyone planning to visit New York should note that the city and state have various COVID-19 restrictions in place. These include the fact that the state currently requires masks to be worn in all indoor spaces, except for venues or businesses that have a vaccine mandate.

On top of this, New York City requires proof of vaccination to enter restaurants, theaters, cinemas, bars, gyms and stadiums.

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Photos credit: Deposit Photos, Instagram

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