Music Hall Updates COVID Vaccination and Masking Guidance

Changes are coming for those visiting Music Hall to attend a Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops or May Festival performance.

Starting March 14, guests will no longer be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative  COVID test to enter, and masking will be optional.

“Regional COVID-19 data, the advice of our partners, the experts at TriHealth, as well as public health and government officials have informed our COVID-19 protocols from the very beginning, and we continue to be guided by the same data to inform our adjustments," a joint statement from Cincinnati Ballet President Scott Altman, Cincinnati Opera General Director and CEO Jonathan Martin and CSO and Pops President and CEO Steven Sunderman reads.

"As we approach the second anniversary of the onset of the pandemic, we’ve reached a new inflection point in the regional data which allows us to adjust COVID-19 protocols for audiences at Music Hall," the group continues.

On Feb. 25, the CDC said that instead of relying just on infection rates to determine if an area has a "low," "medium" or "high" instance of COVID-19 spread, it will now be using three metrics to make its ruling:

• new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population in the past 7 days;
• the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients;
• and total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days.

This takes into consideration "current information about COVID-19 hospitalizations in the community, as well as the potential for strain on the local health system and COVID-19 cases in the community." The change also is because many people have either been vaccinated or have natural immunity as a result of previous infection, the CDC says.

Under its new guidance, the CDC does not recommend indoor masking for those in areas with low or medium community spread.

The CDC does, however, continue to recommend indoor masking in areas with high spread. The CDC notes that "at all levels, people can wear a mask based on personal preference, informed by personal level of risk." And that those who have symptoms, exposure of who have tested positive should wear a mask.

Based on the CDC's map of spread, Hamilton County is currently green, which means there is low community spread of COVID.

For more information about each organization and their COVID protocols and upcoming performances, visit cincinnatisymphony.org, cballet.org, mayfestival.com and cincinnatiopera.org.

Music Hall is located at 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine.

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