Ryan Muir for The FADER
With summer on the horizon, and President Biden claiming there will be enough COVID vaccine doses to supply the American population by the end of May, now comes the ambiguous part: scrambling to restore public spaces to their former glory. The newest development in New York's turbulent race to reopen arrived on Wednesday, when governor Cuomo announced that music venues will finally be allowed to open their doors come April 2.
The news arrives with the stipulation that venues will only be allowed to operate at 33% capacity. Additionally, no more than 100 attendees will be permitted at indoor gigs. Outdoor gigs have more leniency, with a maximum capacity of 200 attendees. If a venue has the capability to administer COVID tests to all attendees, those caps increase to 150 and 500 guests, respectively.
Later this week, on March 5, movie theaters in New York will be permitted to open again at 25% capacity, albeit without concessions. Indoor dining, still a controversial topic, remains at 35% capacity for the time being.