Metropolitan Opera in New York Mandates Boosters

Beginning January 17, the Metropolitan Opera in New York City will require all eligible staff and attendees to provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster shot.

The opera house stated, "This heightened level of caution is being implemented in response to the expected wider spread of the Omicron variant." The decision aims "to protect its extensive community of artists, orchestra members, chorus, staff, and audiences."

For individuals who are fully vaccinated but become eligible for a booster only after January 17, the Met will allow them to enter until two weeks after they become eligible. Recipients of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be eligible for a booster six months post-second dose, while those with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be eligible two months after their single dose. After the two-week grace period, entry will not be permitted until a booster is received.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends a booster shot for all adults aged 18 and older. The agency emphasizes that the emergence of the Omicron variant underscores the importance of boosters due to its increased transmissibility and "the potential for immune evasion."

The Met resumed in-person performances on September 27 and has since hosted 59 operas for approximately 160,000 attendees.

"We put in significant effort to reopen in September, and we’re not backing down now," said Met general manager Peter Gelb. "Our audience is much larger than any other non-profit performing arts organization in the nation, which is why we must lead in health and safety practices."

This 138-year-old performing arts institution, located at New York City’s Lincoln Center, already has a mandatory vaccination policy for both staff and audience members, and face masks are required inside the venue, except when eating or drinking.

During the summer, Broadway announced that theatergoers must be vaccinated and wear masks as performances resumed after being closed for over a year due to the pandemic. This was followed by a citywide vaccine mandate requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccinations for anyone dining indoors, attending performances, or working out at gyms in New York City. Other venues in the city have not yet confirmed whether they will also require proof of booster shots.