If you want to see a show (on or Off-Broadway) or eat a meal indoors in New York City, you’ll need to have gotten a shot recently. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio issued a mandate August 3 saying proof of COVID-19 vaccination would be required to enter performance venues, gyms, and restaurants.
The news comes just days after the Broadway League announced audiences members would be required to get vaccinated before entering any of the 41 Broadway theatres.
The policy will kick in August 16 with official enforcement beginning September 13. With cases on the rise and breakthrough incidents occurring in small numbers in the wake of the Delta variant, de Blasio is hoping to curb the spread of COVID-19 before the cold weather arrives and people move indoors.
According to city data, 66 percent of city residents have gotten vaccinated.
In order to enter the affected spaces, patrons will need to use the new Key to NYC Pass, Excelsior app, or a paper card to show proof of at least one dose of vaccination. Similar programs have been announced in France and Italy, though this is the first in the U.S.
