Some Restaurants, Broadway Shows Forced To Close Temporarily Due To COVID-19 Cases, Testing
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- With COVID-19 numbers going up again, many industries are worried about remaining opening, especially restaurants and Broadway shows.
Closing a show or restaurant even for one day hurts, pain felt by owners, producers and workers who are feeling like they just can't catch a break, CBS2's Dave Carlin reported Thursday.
Closed temporarily is Di An Di in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. It's the right thing to do, owner Dennis Ngo said.
"We had one confirmed positive, so that, according to our policy, that forced us to close and get everyone tested," Ngo said.
His eatery joins more than half a dozen others in the city forced to shut down for a day, or two.
COVID VACCINE
- New York State book online here or call 1-833-NYS-4-VAX
- New York City book online here or call 877-VAX-4NYC
- Track NYC vaccinations by zip code
- Nassau County more info here
- Suffolk County more info here
- Westchester County more info here
- New Jersey book online here or call 1-855-568-0545
- Connecticut book online here
Something similar is happening on Broadway, as the Omicron variant spreads in the city at an increasingly rapid rate. Five productions went dark Wednesday.
Charlotte St. Martin, the president of the Broadway League, said safety is the top priority.
"We are so proud of our community and the industry for coming together, creating the protocols that have allowed us to open and stay open," St. Martin said.
For the handful of shows and restaurants, reopening hinges on getting all workers tested and the results back, which is taking time.
"Unfortunately, still waiting on test results from a lot of our staff," Ngo said.
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
- Complete COVID Vaccine Coverage
- Vaccination Sites In New York City | Call 877-VAX-4NYC
- Track NYC Vaccinations By Zip Code
- Find NYC Testing Site Near You
- Check NYC Testing Wait Times
- CDC'S COVID Vaccine FAQ
- CDC's COVID Tracking Map By County
- Resources: Help With Unemployment, Hunger, Mental Health & More
- Remote Learning Tools For Students And Parents At Home
For restaurant staff, this is tough. Carlin spoke to a waiter who said losing work right now comes at a terrible time.
"It's 100% going to hurt," Will Piper said. "But it's a big deal. You can't take it lightly."
"We need support, that they put all the protocols in place, so we don't get shut down," said Prakash Hundalani, owner of Mamasita Restaurant.
"It's just a reminder that this is definitely not behind us and I think this winter is going to be just as difficult as ever," Ngo added. "I think we have to do our best to keep each other safe and be responsible to each other."
Booster shot mandates could be in Broadway's future, but right now it's only in the discussion phase.