New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that Broadway shows will reopen on Sept. 14, and that there will be new rules for attending baseball games, including incentives for those not vaccinated against COVID-19.
Cuomo said tickets will go on sale May 6 for Broadway shows.
The governor also announced new rules for Yankees and Mets baseball games.
Vaccinated ticketholders can sit in adjacent seats with a group of fully vaccinated family and friends.
Those who are unvaccinated will have to sit in a separate, socially distanced section with a maximum capacity of 33%. They will be offered a chance to get a vaccine at the stadiums, and if they agree, they will also get a free ticket for a future game.
The governor said it’s important to get baseball back to normal.
“The crowd makes the game,” Cuomo said.
The new rules also apply for the Toronto Blue Jays games in Buffalo later this year, and for minor league games. But so far, the Blue Jays and other teams will not be offering vaccines.
Cuomo said a prior testing requirement at the stadiums will end.
Cuomo was asked about legal implications for separating vaccinated people from unvaccinated people, he says anyone who might object does not have any legal standing.
“You have no right to have to sit next to another person,” Cuomo said.
Cuomo says there may be additional rules for attending Broadway shows as well, including requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test. Cuomo aide Robert Mujica says there are concerns, but it’s too early to make a decision.
“Will people feel comfortable sitting right next to another individual without knowing their vaccination status?” Mujica said. “What we do know from surveys is that the answer is no and they would prefer to know the vaccination status of the person next to month.”
The new rules come as the state’s positivity rate, at 1.4%, is the lowest since Oct. 28. Cuomo said 2,458 New Yorkers remain in the hospital, and 31 people died Tuesday.
