New York City wants to roll out mobile vaccination sites for visiting tourists as the five boroughs look to revive their vibrancy post-pandemic, Mayor Bill de Blasio says.
De Blasio described the program, which would target tourists with free Johnson & Johnson doses at popular attractions, leaving them fully vaccinated (though not yet immune) to enjoy their stay in the city and reap the benefit of convenience.
The mayor says the state needs to modify the rules around vaccination a bit to approve the administering of shots to non-New Yorkers who don't work here, but he said his team was working with Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration to get it done.
De Blasio says the mobile vans are ready to roll out as early as this weekend at spots ranging from the Empire State Building and Times Square to Brooklyn Bridge Park, the High Line and Central Park, among others, pending the state's green light.
"This is a positive message to tourists. Come here, it's safe, it's a great safe to be and we're gonna take care of you," de Blasio said. "We're going to make sure you get vaccinated while you're here with us."
The push to vaccinate tourists comes as the city looks to recover about $60 billion worth of economic contributions from tourism, according to state estimates and bring back nearly 90,000 industry jobs that were lost at the same time. Much of the city's revenue relies on out-of-town traffic, and that could get another boost soon, too.
A handful of Broadway productions resumed ticket sales early Thursday after Cuomo greenlit a full capacity reopening of the Great White Way by mid-September, while others, including some of the most iconic shows, joined within hours.
"Wicked," "The Lion Kings" and "Aladdin" are among the biggest productions already selling tickets. See our rolling list here. Some smaller productions may need more time to get their scheduling in order after the year-plus shutdown.
Broadway first suspended shows on March 12, 2020, as the city -- and nation -- reeled from the pandemic. At that time, 31 productions were running, including eight new shows in previews. Another eight were preparing to open in the spring.
It's not clear how many of the shows in previews or rehearsals will still be able to make their debuts. Refunds and exchange policies will be in place if any given performance has to be postponed suddenly because of a public health condition.
There will also likely be changes to the theater-going experience like the addition of contactless services, said Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin.
"Broadway’s back. New York City’s back. Get ready," Mayor de Blasio tweeted just before ticket sales opened up early Thursday.
Prior to the pandemic, nearly 250,000 people were seeing a Broadway show every week.
It's not clear how quickly the seats will be filled to full capacity again as an anxious public looks to restore some semblance of normalcy to its collective post-pandemic life. But the Broadway League has said it eagerly anticipates reopening as much as millions upon millions of global fans look forward to getting back to its iconic stage.
While productions, theaters and attendees must adhere to state health guidance like masks and air filtration, Cuomo said theaters (and theater-goers) will be flexible to potential changes as New York's COVID situation -- and that of the country -- improves.
"It's going to cost millions to get a show up. I will be curious to see who will take that chance," said musical producer Glen Kelly, who has worked on shows like "Book of Mormon" and "Aladdin."
But Kelly, like other theater workers who have waited more than a year to get back to the stage, has some lingering questions.
"I hear about vaccination passports. No one seems to know how that would work," Kelly added. "No one seems to know are the audiences in masks? Is the backstage staff in masks? Do the performers wear masks and take them off before they come on stage?"
