Broadway League says masks will be optional at all theaters in July
NEW YORK -- Broadway is lifting its COVID-19 restrictions at the end of the month.
Mandatory masks in theaters will soon be a thing of the past.
"I prefer not to wear the mask because it's hard for me to breath as an asthmatic," theater goer Laurina Anderson told CBS2's Ali Bauman on Tuesday night.
"I'm glad. Broadway has been really cautious and taken their time," Carrie Baker added.
Starting next month, masks will become optional for audiences in all 41 Broadway theaters. The vaccine mandate has already been lifted.
"We're one of the last organizations and businesses to actually require masks and we felt like the time was right for us to consider that," said the Broadway League's Charlotte St. Martin.
The Broadway League says if cases start to rise again, it will re-evaluate the policy.
"I simply love my smile and lipstick and I'd rather not wear it, but if I'm requested to, I'm happy to do it," theater fan Evelyn Skinner said.
Masks are still required in rideshares, but as of this week, Uber is bringing back shared rides in New York City.
The company suspended its pooling feature during the pandemic, which allows riders to share the car with a stranger heading in the same direction.
"I used to take Uber pool. Before the pandemic started, it was convenient. It was half the price," said Emani Coultherst of Bedford-Stuyvesant.
But between inflation and surge pricing, a lot has changed in two years. Coultherst said she's probably not going back.
"Even Uber sharing would be too expensive," she said.
