Looking to “reduce density” of people across New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced a ban on gatherings of 500 people or more and shut down Broadway theaters in Manhattan.
The theater ban takes effect at 5 pm local time on Thursday, while the moratorium on large gatherings will be enforced starting 5 pm on Friday, Cuomo said.
For Broadway theaters in Manhattan, these rules will go into effect at 5pm TODAY.
We have already spoken to the theaters about these new measures and they agreed.
Furthermore, Cuomo has decreed that all facilities with the legal occupancy limit of fewer than 500 people will have that cut by 50 percent.
“We have already spoken to the theaters about these new measures and they agreed,” the governor tweeted, confirming earlier reports by local media that a shutdown was coming.
Broadway Theatres to suspend performances through April 12, 2020.
Actors Equity, a union representing performers, has been lobbying for a ban because its members are concerned about contracting the COVID-19 coronavirus. The shutdown is expected to last through April 12.
Likely to be an economic punch in the gut for Broadway (and many other industries) https://t.co/lNvan4ak89
The New York Philharmonic has already canceled all performances through March 31, citing “the safety and security of our guests, musicians and employees.”
