It was a return to normalcy for many New Yorkers as Broadway shows once again opened their doors for audiences.

With COVID numbers still at high levels across many parts of the country, some people may be concerned about the number of tourists that make up a large portion of Broadway audiences.

Associate Vice President of Medical Affairs of Hartford Health Care St. Vincent’s Medical Center Dr. Corina Marcu says that theaters have the precautions in place to keep people safe.

She says she would feel safe going to a show knowing that everyone is vaccinated, there are screening procedures and masks being worn as another layer of protection.

“I think it’s the right thing to do for us as a society,” Marcu says.

While you may need to be vaccinated to head to the theater, a court decision has temporarily blocked New York’s vaccine mandate for health care workers.

Several lawsuits and protests by health care workers have happened to reject Gov. Kathy Hochul’s vaccine mandate, but Dr. Marcu says that number is very small.

“For the most part, the health care community understands that we have a responsibility to ourselves and the patients,” Marcu says. “We either need to get vaccinated and/or wear the masks and go for the weekly testing.”

As some are trying not to get vaccinated, others are wondering if they will soon be heading for a third dose of the vaccine.

A Food and Drug Administration committee is set to meet Friday to discuss whether another dose of a coronavirus vaccine is needed for the general public.

As of now, third doses are already approved for people with certain health factors.

Marcu says some patients want to get the extra dose of vaccine now, while others want to wait and see.

The doctor also says that it will be important to vaccinate children who are not yet eligible as schools begin to start up again.

The pandemic has also had a disproportional impact on the Hispanic-American community.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hispanics are 2.8 times more likely to be hospitalized with the coronavirus.

Executive Director of the Organization of Latino Americans of Easter Lon Island Minerva Perez says that Latinos have been largely impacted in the workforce and within intergenerational households.

Hispanic and Latino Americans account for more than 16% of those are fully vaccinated, but Perez says there are still concerns about access.

She says smaller vaccine pods are needed after work hours between 4-8 p.m.

“People want the vaccine and that’s what is most important,” Perez says.