By: Teddy Grant

Broadway theater owners and operators said Friday that they would require attendees to wear masks and be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the New York Times.

The decision comes as the highly transmittable Delta variant is spreading rapidly all over the country.

“We have said from Day 1 that we want our casts, our crews and our audiences to be safe, and we believe that this is a precaution to ensure that,” Charlotte St. Martin, the president of the Broadway League, told the Times. “We’re doing everything we can to open safely and protect everyone.”

Performers, backstage crew and theater staff must all be vaccinated as well, according to Deadline.

Broadway will reopen next month, following an over 16-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. The new mandate is for all performances through October 2021 and will be implemented at all 41 Broadway theaters.

“With these procedures in place and recognizing the high vaccination rates among NYC audiences, Broadway continues to make safety our priority,” Nick Scandalios of The Nederlander Organization told Deadline. “As we get ready for Broadway’s big comeback, the entire theatre community is committed to the highest level of public health standards. We’re all eager to welcome our many patrons and fans back to the magic of Broadway.”

Broadway has joined Google, Netflix and the federal government in requiring employees to get vaccinated against the virus.