NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The Metropolitan Opera has canceled its entire 2020-21 season because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Met announced Wednesday that it will remain closed for another year and won't reopen until Sep. 27, 2021, when its 2021-22 season is scheduled to begin.
"We regret to inform you that the Metropolitan Opera has made the extremely difficult decision to cancel the entirety of the 2020–21 season, based on the advice of health officials who advise the Met and Lincoln Center," the Met said in a statement.
"Because of the many hundreds of performers who are required to rehearse and perform in close quarters and because of the company's large audience, it was determined that it would not be safe for the Met to resume until a vaccine is widely in use, herd immunity is established, and the wearing of masks and social distancing is no longer a medical requirement. Health officials have said this will likely take at least five to six months after a vaccine is initially made available," the statement continued. "We want nothing more than to get back to creating operatic magic as only the Met can, but the safety of our company and the audience we serve must come first."
The Met has been closed since mid-March, when cultural institutions like Broadway theaters, arts centers and comedy clubs shut down amid the pandemic.
The opera house has lost more than $150 million in revenue and about 1,000 of its full-time employees have been furloughed without pay since April, according to the New York Times.
