New York and L.A. Mayors Say Concerts May Not Return Until 2021

The mayors of New York and Los Angeles both suggested that large-scale events might not return to the cities until next year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The U.S. is one of the worst-hit nations in the world, with more than 645,000 cases confirmed out of the 2.09 million worldwide. The country’s death toll currently stands at 28,554, with 135,230 across the globe. New York has logged more than 8,000 deaths from 118,000 cases, while Los Angeles has 360 deaths from more than 10,000 cases.

While it’s not known how long lockdown regulations could remain in place – and whether they'd be reinstated later – moves are being made in some locations to loosen the restrictions. However, Billboard reported that Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti told senior staff on Monday that large public gatherings will not take place until 2021, and that public life will operate like a “circuit breaker box” that could be turned “off again, should we see [new] outbreaks.”

“It’s difficult to imagine us getting together in the thousands anytime soon, so I think we should be prepared for that this year,” Garcetti told CNN. “I think we all have never wanted science to work so quickly. But until there's either a vaccine, some sort of pharmaceutical intervention or herd immunity, the science is the science. And public health officials have made very clear we have miles and miles to walk before we can be back in those environments.”

Bill De Blasio, the New York mayor, said previously that large-scale gatherings will be “one of the last things” to be reintroduced to city life. “I've got to see in my city real steady progress, even to start to think about relaxing some of those social distancing standards even a little bit,” he noted. “I want to get people back to work, of course. I want to get kids back to school. But I think it will take months to go through that whole sequence.”

He added that the “last thing” he wanted is to allow gatherings of 10,000 to 50,000 people - “That's like the exact opposite of social distancing.”

California governor Gavin Newsom echoed the mayors’ opinions, telling press that social responsibility regulations will remain in place until a vaccine is in circulation or herd immunity has been achieved.

“Large-scale events that bring in hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of strangers, all together across every conceivable difference, health and otherwise, is not on the cards based upon our current guidelines and current expectations,” he said. Refusing to put a timescale on developments, he added, “When you suggest June, July, August, it is unlikely.”