New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that the state’s venues will be allowed to reopen at full capacity, provided that all attendees are vaccinated against COVID-19.
Popular venues like Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall have already announced plans to only offer tickets to fully vaccinated patrons upon reopening. At the time of writing, that accounts for approximately 44.6% of people living in New York City.
Additionally, neither masks nor social distancing will be required in the venues.
“Having Radio City back at 100%, without masks, with people enjoying New York, and the New York arts, is going to be not only symbolic and metaphoric, but I think it’s going to go a long way toward bringing back this state,” said Cuomo during the announcement.
Though no official plans on how venues will confirm vaccination status has been announced, New York’s Excelsior Pass looks to be the primary option. The app utilizes QR codes that are scanned upon entry and verify COVID-19 vaccination status or proof of a negative test. Excelsior Pass has already been used in two separate trials at sporting events on February 27nd and March 2nd.
Before Cuomo’s announcement, the capacity limit for indoor venues was set at 30%, and 33% for outdoor venues.
