Some Broadway Theaters to Drop COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates, All to Keep Masking Requirements

People show their proof of vaccination as they arrive to attend "The Lion King" at the Minskoff Theatre in New York on Sept. 14, 2021. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)

Some theaters on Broadway in New York won’t require COVID-19 vaccination from customers, starting in May, The Broadway League announced on April 15.

It’s not clear how many of the 41 theaters will keep requiring COVID-19 vaccination past April.

The Broadway League, a trade association for Broadway, stated that “many” of the theaters “will no longer check vaccination status after April 30.”

Some of the theater operators now list their vaccination policies as being in effect for performances through April 30, but some don’t.

The Nederlander Organization, which runs nine of the theaters, left open the possibility of not rescinding the mandate.

“For performances May 1, 2022, and beyond, we anticipate a review of policies which may include a relaxation of certain provisions, a modification or an extension of this policy as dictated by science,” the group stated on its website.

All of the theaters will continue requiring masks until at least May 31, according to the league.

“Since resuming performances last fall, over 5 million attendees have seen a Broadway show, and the safety and security of our cast, crew, and audience has been our top priority,“ Charlotte St. Martin, president of the league, said in a statement. ”Our intention is that by maintaining strict audience masking through at least the month of May, we will continue that track record of safety for all. And of course, we urge everyone to get vaccinated.”

Broadway will continue to require proof of vaccination for workers.

Broadway shut down in early 2020 and didn’t reopen for business until mid-2021.

While reopening, the theaters imposed the COVID-19 vaccine and masking requirements for customers, giving exemptions only to younger children or people with a medical condition or a religious belief that prevents vaccination.

Those people could only attend shows if they provided proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

St. Martin said at the time that “vaccination has proven the most effective way to stay healthy and reduce transmission.” Just days later, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the vaccines “continue to work well for Delta, with regard to severe illness and death—they prevent it.”

“But what they can’t do anymore is prevent transmission,” Walensky said.

Delta is a variant of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, or SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. The Omicron coronavirus variant, which displaced Delta in late 2021, is better at evading vaccines than Delta was.

The three currently available vaccines in the United States provide virtually no protection against infection from Omicron, although they have held up better against severe illness and death.