Broadway to remain closed through 2020

June 29 (UPI) -- The Broadway League announced on Monday that Broadway performances in New York City will remain suspended throughout the remainder of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Broadway theaters are offering refunds and exchanges for tickets purchased for all shows through Jan. 3, 2021.

Productions are set to resume performances over a series of rolling dates starting in early 2021. Tickets for Broadway shows scheduled for next winter and spring are expected to go on sale in the coming weeks.

The Broadway League, the national trade association for the Broadway industry, will continue to work with government and medical officials on the best plan to reopen.

"Our membership is working closely with the theatrical unions and in concert with key experts and some of the greatest minds inside and outside the industry to explore protocols for all aspects of reopening. We are focused on identifying and implementing necessary measures that will enable us to resume performances sage for Broadway audiences and employees," president of the Broadway League Charlotte St. Martin said in a statement.

"We are determined to bring back the people who rely on this industry for their livelihood, and to welcome back all those who love this vital part of New York City, as soon as it is safe to do so. As so many of us in the Broadway community have been saying during this time - We'll be back, and we have so many more stories to tell," she continued.

Broadway performances were suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.