US singer Bruce Springsteen returns to the stage after more than a year of forced Corona break. However, not all fans are admitted to his concert in New York.
New York City – US rock star Bruce Springsteen returns to the stage next week with his show “Bruce Springsteen on Broadway”. A reason for the joy of many fans: Its performance on June 26th at the St. James Theater will be one of the first events on the reopened Broadway, the theater mile in New York, after more than a year of forced Corona break. It will be an “intimate night with Bruce, his guitar, a piano and his stories,” the producers told the British newspaper The Guardian.
But not everyone who would like to experience Bruce Springsteen’s music live and on site can make this dream come true for themselves: Strict Corona regulations apply on Broadway, which were set up by the US government and the city of New York.
People vaccinated with Astrazeneca are not allowed to attend the Bruce Springsteen concert
This not only includes the corona vaccination being a prerequisite for attending an event. The vaccine received must also be an FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved vaccine with an emergency approval. Specifically, in the USA these are the vaccines BionTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson – people vaccinated with Astrazeneca are therefore not allowed to participate.
In contrast to Canada, Great Britain and other parts of Europe, Astrazeneca has not yet been used in the USA.
Bruce Springsteen in New York: Canadian newspaper is snubbed about concert restrictions
In Canada, where the 71-year-old Bruce Springsteen has many fans and where the Astrazeneca vaccine is also approved, the news about the concert ban for Astrazeneca-vaccinated people was not well received, according to The Guardian. The Canadian daily Toronto Star published a report entitled “Burn in the USA” (a reference to the title of a Springsteen bestselling hit) of the restrictions on attending a concert, in which they expressed their disapproval: “The show must go on. But if you received the AstraZeneca vaccine, you are not invited, ”the newspaper wrote.
The theater owner said he was just complying with New York state regulations. The only exception are children under the age of 16 who can demonstrate a current negative Covid-19 test and are accompanied by fully vaccinated adults. It is not necessary to wear a mask to attend the concert. The producers of the event also pointed out that keeping large distances with a total of 1,710 available seats was not possible.
Bruce Springsteen concert in New York: test run for wider Broadway openings
Bruce Springsteen’s concert on Broadway is viewed as a test run for a wider Broadway reopening. However, many other shows don’t plan to reopen until September or later. Last year, in an interview with the New York Times, Bruce Springsteen expressed his frustration at not being able to perform because of the pandemic: “If someone told me, ‘This will never happen again’ – that would be a big life change for me me. This act of playing has been one of the few constant things in my life since I was 16, ”said the singer in an interview.
The company has come a long way in trying to get the Astrazeneca vaccine approved in the US. Studies had to be stopped, then US scientists discovered the use of outdated information in the study. Despite the vaccine’s approval in Europe and Canada, the FDA has requested evidence from larger studies. So far, the USA has not granted any approval. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the company was considering waiving an emergency license application in the US and seeking “proper” approval straight away. (Anna Charlotte Groos)
