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Posted: 2020-03-12T18:23:38Z | Updated: 2020-04-08T15:52:35Z

UPDATE: April 8 The Broadway League announced on Wednesday that, in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and at the direction of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Broadway shows will be suspended through June 7, 2020.

Ticket holders for performances through June 7 will receive an e-mail from their point of purchase with information regarding exchanges or refunds, according to the leagues statement.

PREVIOUSLY:

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has announced a one-month ban on gatherings of 500 people or more in New York City to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, turning the lights out on Broadway.

On Thursday, March 12, Cuomo said in a press conference that gatherings of more than 500 people will be prohibited, with the exception of schools, hospitals, mass transit and nursing homes.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announces that all gatherings over 500 people are banned, and Broadway theaters are required to have a maximum capacity of 50% of total seating as of 5 p.m. ET today. https://t.co/acarjwFNlC pic.twitter.com/j4ngJEDAjW

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announces that all gatherings over 500 people are banned, and Broadway theaters are required to have a maximum capacity of 50% of total seating as of 5 p.m. ET today. https://t.co/acarjwFNlC pic.twitter.com/j4ngJEDAjW

CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) March 12, 2020

The ban goes into effect at 5 p.m. Eastern on March 12, and performances are not slated to start back up again until April 13.

The announcement also indicated that facilities with occupancy for up to 500 people will have their allowed seated capacity reduced by 50%.

Were going to take very dramatic actions, Cuomo said at the press conference.

We are taking new actions to reduce the density of people across the state.

Starting Friday at 5pm, gatherings with 500 people or more will not be permitted in NYS.

Additionally, for facilities with an occupancy of 500 or fewer, we are reducing the legal capacity by 50%.

Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 12, 2020","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Andrew Cuomo","author_url":"https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo","cache_age":86400,"description":"We are taking new actions to reduce the density of people across the state.Starting Friday at 5pm, gatherings with 500 people or more will not be permitted in NYS.Additionally, for facilities with an occupancy of 500 or fewer, we are reducing the legal capacity by 50%. 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We are taking new actions to reduce the density of people across the state.

Starting Friday at 5pm, gatherings with 500 people or more will not be permitted in NYS.

Additionally, for facilities with an occupancy of 500 or fewer, we are reducing the legal capacity by 50%.

Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 12, 2020

COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on Wednesday and has killed more than 4,000 people worldwide.

Cuomos announcement of the ban comes on the heels of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio telling CNN earlier on Thursday that he didnt want to see Broadway go dark if we can avoid it.

I want to see if we can strike some kind of balance, he said. What were trying to figure out: Is there a way to reduce the capacity, reduce the number of people? If we cannot strike that balance, of course, we can go to closure.

Earlier this week, a Broadway usher who worked two shows tested positive for coronavirus and is now quarantined. The theater operators acknowledged the ushers diagnosis in a statement and said their theaters would take every step necessary to ensure the safety of our audiences, performers, crew, and building staff.

Representatives for the theaters where the usher worked told BuzzFeed News that the venues have been deep-cleaned and that they have urged all high-risk audience members to monitor their health diligently.

Despite this, Vincent Racaniello, a professor of microbiology at Columbia University, told BuzzFeed that the measures were not sufficient enough to keep people healthy.

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There is no question that Broadway shows should be closed, Racaniello said. Any large gatherings of people, especially here in NYC where we know the virus is circulating, need to stop.

Joining Broadway, other New York City institutions that have closed because of the pandemic include the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Consider supporting HuffPost starting at $2 to help us provide free, quality journalism that puts people first.

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

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