New York’s Metropolitan Opera, which since its fall reopening has required its patrons to have received Covid-19 vaccinations, will require proof of a booster shot for admission to its performances, effective Jan. 17.
The Met is the first major US arts entity to add boosters to its safety protocol, in order to become what it calls “a fully vaccinated house.”
“We think we should be setting an example,” Peter Gelb, the company’s general manager, told The New York Times’ Matt Stevens. “Hopefully we will have an influence on other performing arts companies as well. I think it’s just a matter of time – everyone is going to be doing this.”
Many arts organizations and venues around the country – in the Virginia-DC region, the Richmond Symphony, Virginia Opera and the Kennedy Center, among others – have been requiring patrons to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative test result.
Under its new guidelines, the Met will no longer accept negative tests as an alternative to full vaccination, which it defines as two shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and their boosters, plus two weeks for them to become optimally protective.
Those not eligible for a booster until after Jan. 17 will be given “a two-week grace period to schedule and receive the booster upon becoming eligible. After the two weeks have passed, entry will not be allowed until the booster has been received,” the company advises.
The Met’s full Covid safety rules:
http://www.metopera.org/information/our-commitment-to-our-audiences/
Letter V 