The Metropolitan Opera has scrapped its full 2020-21 season and will remain shuttered for at least an additional year.

The Met, which previously closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March, announced its "extremely difficult decision" on Wednesday, saying that it was made based on health experts' recommendations.

"Because of the many hundreds of performers who are required to rehearse and perform in close quarters and because of the company's large audience, it was determined that it would not be safe for the Met to resume until a vaccine is widely in use, herd immunity is established, and the wearing of masks and social distancing is no longer a medical requirement," a statement from the Met said. "Health officials have said this will likely take at least five to six months after a vaccine is initially made available."

The Met also said that its 2021-22 season is scheduled to begin on Sept. 27, 2021, with Terence Blanchard's Fire Shut up in my Bones. The announcement, The New York Times writes, is "likely to send ripples of concern through New York and the rest of the country," and as other theaters and similar venues look to when they can reopen, it "may well prove to be a bellwether." Brendan Morrow