New York City's continued reopening has ramped up this month with the return of stage productions, the Met Gala and in-person schooling among other live and in-person events.
It marks a major turn for the city, which was the global epicentre of the pandemic in spring 2020 and suffered the most intense lockdown in the US.
Curtains are being raised at Broadway theatres following a historic shutdown, where productions completely shuttered for more than 18 months, devastating the city's entertainment and tourism industries.
“I am thrilled to see Broadway reopening,” Sarah Batchelor, a digital marketing strategist at design firm HLW, told The National.
“I have a lot of friends who work in theatre — both on stage and behind the scenes. They’ve all been hit so hard by the pandemic and the closure of their entire means of livelihood.”
Audience members are required to show proof of FDA- or WHO-approved Covid-19 vaccination and must wear face masks in theatres.
The city's public school system - the largest in the country - went fully remote in March 2020 before shifting to a hybrid model that involved both remote learning and in-person education, with windows open for ventilation and constant coronavirus testing.
“I was excited to be back in the building with all my students and seeing all the faces,” Diana De Paula, a New York City public school teacher, told The National.
“All the faces are covered with masks but nonetheless, we're back in the classroom together in real-time. You can't mute, you can't turn your camera off - it's real life again.”
The city's education department reported on Tuesday a preliminary 82.4 per cent attendance rate.
“The hope is that we can successfully maintain [education] in the building safely. I'm extremely hopeful for the future of the school year,” Ms De Paula said.
Coronavirus cases are on the decline following a small third wave in the city, spurred by the highly transmissible Delta variant.
In the city proper, 67 per cent of people have had at least one dose and 60 per cent have been fully vaccinated, the NYC Department of Health reported.
Because of high vaccination rates, most cases are among the unvaccinated and both hospital admissions and deaths remain low, the city health agency said.
Covid prevention measures are still being enforced at large events and at small businesses. Proof of at least one dose is required for entry to most indoor spaces in the city.
The Met Gala, a well-known fashion charity event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was held on Monday evening, four months after the traditional date of the first Monday in May.
Proof of full vaccination was required to attend the event as were face masks when indoors.
The MTV Video Music Awards were also held on Sunday night with an in-person audience and several performances at Barclays Centre in Brooklyn.
The 2020 VMAs were forced to go to a remote format that featured outdoor performances with limited or no audiences in New York City.
A gathering of global leaders at UN headquarters for its annual General Assembly is also taking place this month, a change from last year's remote format.
Despite the city's progress, some large offices, such as Google, have pushed reopening plans back for months due to the spread of Delta. Tourism also remains drastically lower than the record numbers seen in 2019.
“I feel positive about New York City’s reopening — especially with the mandate that indoor dining, gyms and venues must require proof of vaccination for entry,” Sarah said.
“I recently attended a few concerts — all outdoor at Pier 17 and Forest Hills Stadium — and felt a lot safer knowing that everyone in attendance had been vaccinated.”
The biog
Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on animal trafficking
HWJN
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Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: Eghel De Pine, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Sheaar, Szczepan Mazur, Saeed Al Shamsi
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA) Group 3 Dh500,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Torch, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,600m | Winner: Forjatt, Chris Hayes, Nicholas Bachalard
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,400m | Winner: Hawafez, Connor Beasley, Ridha ben Attia
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Qader, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roaulle
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
ARGENTINA SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Franco Armani, Agustin Marchesin, Esteban Andrada
Defenders: Juan Foyth, Nicolas Otamendi, German Pezzella, Nicolas Tagliafico, Ramiro Funes Mori, Renzo Saravia, Marcos Acuna, Milton Casco
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Guido Rodriguez, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Roberto Pereyra, Rodrigo De Paul, Angel Di Maria
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Lautaro Martinez, Paulo Dybala, Matias Suarez
