By: Ross Mackenzie
Don’t go to Broadway shows – at least not if you’re sick.
That was the message from producers who are putting theater-goers’ health ahead of ticket sales.
Show-goers exhibiting flu or cold symptoms and feeling under the weather should exchange their tickets for later dates, according to the producers.
To this point, scheduled performances have not had to be rescheduled. But of course, that could change at any time.
The Broadway League, the trade group representing theater owners and producers, issued this statement last week:
“The Broadway League is closely monitoring the evolving coronavirus situation on behalf of the Broadway community. The safety and security of our theatregoers and employees is our highest priority. We are following the lead of our city, state and federal elected officials as we implement strategies recommended by public health authorities and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in all of our theatres and offices as all productions continue to play as scheduled. We have significantly increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting in all public and backstage areas beyond the standard daily schedule, and we have added alcohol-based sanitizer dispensers for public use in the lobby of every theatre. We invite patrons to make use of soap, paper towels, and tissues available in all restrooms. We remain vigilant, and we are prepared to make decisions based on current recommendations, as well as in response to changing conditions. Anyone who is experiencing cold or flu symptoms, or who is not feeling well, is encouraged to stay home and contact the point of purchase for more information about ticket exchanges and policies.”
The latest (the week ending March 1st) sales figures generated by Broadway box officers, according to the League, show ticket sales down just a bit. Yet worries continue.
“The illness couldn’t have arrived at a worse time of the year for Broadway, with awards season in sight and the spring openings of major productions already underway. (“Girl From The North Country” opened last night, and much-anticipated shows including “Six,” “Company,” “Hangmen,” “Diana” and “The Lehman Trilogy,” to name just a sampling, are either in previews or about to be.),” reported the New York Post.
To date, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office, here is what the city is dealing with:
New Confirmed Cases in New York City
– Two additional family members of an Upper West Side man in his 50s tested positive –wife and 11 year old daughter. They are currently in mandatory quarantine and are mildly symptomatic.
– A male Uber driver in his 30s is currently hospitalized in Queens. He is not a TLC licensed driver, and drives on Long Island.
– Two women in Brooklyn in their 60s and 70s became symptomatic after returning on a cruise from Egypt with a known cluster of cases. They are both at home in mandatory quarantine.
– A male in his 30s from Brooklyn is currently in the hospital in serious condition after returning from a trip to Italy.
– Additionally, a Manhattan man in his late 50s tested positive after spending time with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in Chile. He was discharged from the hospital this morning and is under mandatory quarantine.