New York (AFP)

One of New York's major attractions, Broadway theaters, which have been closed since March due to a pandemic, will remain closed until at least January 2021, The Broadway League trade association said on Monday.

All theaters "now offer refunds or exchanges for tickets purchased for performances scheduled before January 3," the association said in a statement, without giving a firm reopening date.

"Our members work closely with unions, experts and great minds inside and outside the theater world to (...) identify and implement the measures that will allow performances to be resumed safely for the public and employees, "said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League.

"The alchemy by which 1,000 people meet and form an audience that feeds each of the artists will be possible when the theaters can again be full safely," said Thomas Schumacher, chairman of the board of directors of the Broadway League.

"The safety of the artists, of the production, of the orchestras and of the public is our first priority and we will only return to the stage when it is safe. One thing is certain, when we return, we will be stronger and we will have more than ever need us ".

Broadway theaters accounted for approximately $ 33 million in weekly revenues until their closure on March 12. Professionals can only count for weeks on unemployment benefits.

Until then, some were still hoping for a reopening in September of these theaters, which attract millions of tourists to New York each year.

If the epidemic in the American economic capital has declined significantly since the peak recorded in April, the contamination rate is very high in other American states, with record contamination figures recorded in particular in Florida and Texas in recent days.

"Broadway's business model is such that social distancing is impossible," warned Charlotte St. Martin in May. "Even with halls 50% full, a show could not pay its bills."

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