New York has announced that venues in the American city can soon start operating at 100% capacity, provided that those attending events have been vaccinated.
The announcement comes from Andrew Cuomo who is the New York Governor, and already large venues such as Madison Square Garden have confirmed their reopening plans will only offer tickets to people who have received a full vaccination.
Currently, 44.6% of all those living in the city have been fully vaccinated, but this number is rising all the time, as more people get their jab.
Radio City Music Hall is a New York venue with a 6,000 person capacity, and they are scheduled to reopen on the 19th of June.
In a statement, Andrew Cuomo said: “Having Radio City back at 100%, without masks, with people enjoying New York, and the New York arts, is going to be not only symbolic and metaphoric; but I think it’s going to go a long way toward bringing back this state.”
The exact system of how venues will know who had been vaccinated has not been confirmed yet, but a report in IQ Magazine suggests the free to use Excelsior Pass app could be used to determine someone’s vaccination status.
The app was launched by the government in New York State and uses QR codes to verify proof of either vaccination or negative COVID-19 tests. Participating venues can then scan the code before confirming the entry or a ticket sale.
It was trialled at a Brooklyn Nets basketball game on the 27th of February, and also at a New York Rangers hockey game on the 2nd of March.
Madison Square Garden held the largest indoor gathering since the start of the pandemic on the 23rd of May, when 15,000 people attended the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
According to, James Dolan who is executive chairman of the parent company that own Madison Square Garden, 90% of the crowd were vaccinated and there was no social distancing or mask-wearing required. In a statement, he said: “I hope everyone in sports and entertainment is listening because the public has spoken – they are fine with getting vaccinated and want to get back to the experiences they love.”
At the moment large indoor venues can only operate at 30%, and outdoor events at 33%.
