Times Square Vaccine Site Opens For Entertainment Workers

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — A new coronavirus vaccination site for New York's entertainment workers opened in Times Square on Monday, part of the city's effort to get the multibillion-dollar industry back on its feet following the pandemic.

The site at 20 Times Square, on West 47th Street, exclusively serves workers from the film, television and theater industries. It also offers testing for COVID-19, and will be open seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

"This is going to help this industry come back, but much more important, it’s part of the lifeblood of this city. It’s part of just what makes us special," Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a news conference Monday.

The mayor toured the Times Square site later Monday alongside "Hamilton" playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda.

De Blasio first previewed the effort last month, saying the city would work to create a number of pop-up sites in the Theater District for Broadway workers.

The city had 165 appointments set for Monday, among roughly 2,000 first-dose appointments already been scheduled at the Times Square site. Capacity is expected to ramp up to 4,000 appointments for the second dose, a City Hall spokesperson said.

De Blasio did not say how members of the public could book appointments, but the city has reached out to unions in the industry, he said.

Broadway theaters, which have now been shuttered for more than a year, could reopen by September, the mayor said last month.

The year before the pandemic, Broadway enjoyed its most successful season in history, raking in $1.8 billion in ticket sales from nearly 15 million people.

De Blasio, who said he and his wife are self-proclaimed "Trekkies," was joined Monday by Star Trek actress Michelle Hurd, who said the past year has "taken a toll" on everyone in the entertainment world.

"But now, with this dedicated vaccine site, I’m even more confident about the return of storytelling," she said.

He’s not throwin’ away his (#COVID19) shot!@Lin_Manuel opens the new #CovidVaccine site for theater workers in Times Square. @NYCMayor @abettertsq @MadeinNY @HamiltonMusical @WICKED_Musical pic.twitter.com/QkwQGv0azy
— Senator Brad Hoylman (@bradhoylman) April 12, 2021

Previous coverage: Broadway To Return With Vaccine Sites For Theater Workers: Mayor