NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The Radio City Music Hall Rockettes are the most recent New York Metropolis custom pressured to cancel due to COVID.
Performances of “The Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio Metropolis Rockettes” have been canceled for the remainder of the season attributable to breakthrough circumstances. The announcement got here hours after Radio Metropolis canceled all 4 of its Friday performances.
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Fabiana Ruggiero and her household had deliberate their journey on Friday for months, taking the prepare from East, Haven, Connecticut, to see the “Christmas Spectacular,” solely to get right here and discover out the present was canceled.
“I used to be actually trying ahead to it, after which it obtained canceled,” Fabiana Ruggiero informed CBS2’s Andrea Grymes.
“That was horrible. They had been very upset,” Frank Ruggiero stated.
“That’s actually unhappy as a result of we got here all the best way from Guatemala to see the Rockettes, and we’re not gonna have the ability to see them,” vacationer Paulina Gamalero stated.
- CLICK HERE for extra details about the Rockettes cancellation and refunds.
Earlier, town stated it could be sending inspectors to Radio Metropolis Music Corridor, after experiences that it wasn’t imposing the vaccination rule for kids ages 5-11. Madison Sq. Backyard, which owns Radio Metropolis, stated it could comply.
“Everybody’s obtained to comply with this mandate,” Mayor Bill de Blasio stated. “It’s a severe mandate and it’s a quite simple mandate. ”
Breakthrough circumstances have already pressured the closure of several Broadway shows this week, and the annual New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square could be in jeopardy.
“Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Instances of the Temptations,” “Hamilton,” “MJ The Musical,” “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “Tina — The Tina Turner Musical” all canceled all performances by means of no less than Sunday.
“Hadestown” and “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” additionally had canceled performances on Friday and Saturday.
“Shedding revenue after not having had revenue for therefore lengthy places each present all over the place in danger,” stated Howard Sherman, a U.S. columnist with “The Stage” newspaper.
As these COVID closures proceed to have an effect on exhibits, the Broadway League has arrange a web site to assist theatergoers discover out which productions have made cancelations. Yow will discover the listing at BwayToday.com.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater additionally canceled all remaining performances attributable to COVID circumstances inside the firm.
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Metropolis officers and residents at the moment are taking steps to protect against a frightening jump in infections. Circumstances doubled in the previous few days, and the positivity fee is sort of 8%.
Gov. Kathy Hochul stated she’s involved as a result of New York state went from just below 9,000 COVID circumstances on Monday to 21,000 circumstances Thursday. However the “silver lining,” she says, is that hospitalizations are low at about 3,800.
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The governor and the mayor don’t want one other shut down.
“There’s this truism, ‘By no means combat yesterday’s conflict.’ This isn’t March of 2020. We’re one of the vital extremely vaccinated locations in the US of America,” de Blasio stated. “The extra we vaccinate, the extra we will get by means of this, and the good hazard right here is shutdowns and restrictions as a result of that might actually destroy, in so some ways, folks’s livelihoods.”
De Blasio known as for town to distribute a million Ok-95 masks at no cost, launch a media marketing campaign to advertise boosters, and enhance inspections to implement the state’s masks mandate.
“We have to be very aggressive. This variant strikes quick, we have to transfer quicker,” he stated.
Watch John Dias’ report —
CBS2’s John Dias spoke with folks Friday at a COVID testing site with a long line wrapped across the block in Times Square.
“I really feel like everybody has COVID, and I’m simply attempting to be secure,” Midtown resident Jessica Pellegrini stated. “This week has been loopy.”
“My roommate simply obtained uncovered, he has COVID,” stated Midtown resident Beau Speer.
Specialists say the surge is partly fueled by the Omicron variant, with many individuals getting examined earlier than they head house for the vacations.
“We’re going to go to older dad and mom, they usually appear fairly apprehensive,” Megi Hakobjanyan, of the Higher East Aspect, stated.
COVID VACCINE
Roosevelt Island resident Jose Montoya stated he’s getting examined 5 consecutive days earlier than he flies to go to household in Brazil.
“I need to be unfavourable daily till I go away,” he informed Dias. “The grandmother of my accomplice is 96, we’re going to be spending Christmas. My in-laws are elder, so yeah, you should consider others.”
Epidemiologists say weak unwanted side effects are extra widespread with the Omicron variant in breakthrough circumstances.
“If we will flip Omicron, if we will flip COVID into one thing just like the widespread chilly by means of vaccination, that’s a win,” stated Dr. Celine Gounder. “We’re properly on our solution to doing that, however all people must get vaccinated to get there.”
Dr. Gounder stated the one solution to hit the quick ahead button on the pandemic is: “We actually want to begin searching for each other, considering of ourselves as each other’s neighbors.”
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CBS2’s John Dias contributed to this report. Editor’s notice: This story was first printed on Dec. 17.
