In an exciting new development for concert goers and entertainment enthusiasts, New York events and arts and entertainment venues have been cleared to open at 33% capacity in April, with a 100-person and 200-person indoor and outdoor cap, respectively.
For venues interested in increasing their capacity, operators may test all attendees for COVID-19 prior to entry and should all patrons test negative for the virus, the maximum capacity can be raised to 150 people indoors and 500 people outdoors. Easing such limitations will not nullify the existing social distancing and mask wearing requirements, which will remain in effect for all events.
The New York Independent Venue Association (NIVA) addressed the new development in the following statement:
“NYIVA is encouraged by Governor Cuomo’s commitment to reopening live events and we look forward to restoring New York as the arts capital of the world. We stand ready to do whatever it takes to be live once again for New York. We are not out of the woods yet and our independent venues have struggled to get through this pandemic. We were the first to close and the last to open and are working with the state to get the assistance we need in order to comply with the new requirements.
At this stage, we can’t provide exact numbers on which of our members plan to reopen. What we do know is that in order for independent music venues in New York to reopen and thrive, our industry needs financial support from the state to help procure the equipment and products to reopen safely and comply with the guidelines.”
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Photo: Luis Levrato