Broadway ushered in a new masking policy on Friday.

Audiences are encouraged, but not required, to wear masks inside a theatre for the month of July.

The masks-optional policy was set by The Broadway League, a trade association of Broadway theatre owners and producers.

While the policy applies to all 41 Broadway theatres, due to special circumstances, two plays will continue the mask requirement for audience members until their closing dates later this month. Those plays are “The Minutes" and "American Buffalo."

The masks-optional policy is a significant rollback of COVID-19 protocols put in place by theatres at the time Broadway reopened last fall. Most theatres stopped checking the vaccine status of theatergoers two months ago.

The Broadway League says it will re-examine masking on a month-to-month basis.