NEW YORK (NewsNation Now) — If there’s anything a stage actor hates, it’s a diva who steals the spotlight, so you can imagine the annoyance the Great White Way is feeling now that the omicron variant of COVID-19 is bringing the “bad old days” back again.
Thursday night, just as the audience had settled into its seats for a performance of “Moulin Rouge,” word came that the performance was canceled due to an outbreak of COVID-19. Disappointed ticketholders had to vacate their seats and go find something else to do with their evenings.
“Hamilton,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” “Freestyle Love Supreme,” “Ain’t Too Proud” and “Mrs. Doubtfire” are among the shows that have closed until the current surge blows over.
Early in the pandemic, NYC was one of the epicenters of the early outbreaks, and people fled the city in the tens of thousands like a scene from “I Am Legend.” Aggressive testing, tracing, mask mandates and vaccine mandates tamed the viral beast, but now a new variant and perhaps some protection fatigue among the populace is leading to a resurgence.
The rolling 7-day average of cases in the city is higher than it’s been in months, positive tests are up 50% in the last three days and hospitalizations for COVID are up 50%, although with new medications to treat the illness it’s hoped that cases will be turned more quickly.
All over the city, there are lines wrapping around testing centers. Mobile test sites have spread out throughout the city and always draw a crowd. The NYC “Test and Trace” mobile service plans to double its fleet over the next month.
In the meantime, a jolly holiday in the big city isn’t turning out to be quite what many tourists had anticipated, with shows being closed and other restrictions putting a damper on the traditional holiday fun in the Big Apple. Omicron appears to the the Grinch in COVID clothing this year.