Header Image: Photo 74852952 © Aerogondo – Dreamstime.com.
Before I begin writing this article, I would like to highlight that none of the below should be taken as medical advice. These are my musings over what the industry should do.
Greater Brisbane is currently in lockdown for the next three days due to someone unknowingly having and potentially spreading the new, highly-infectious UK-strain of COVID-19. I do not wish to be alarmist, but it is probable that others have been infected with this strain, and that either this lockdown could be extended further or happen again over the coming weeks. Unique among other East Coast states given how efficiently the pandemic was managed to date, performing arts venues and cinemas in Queensland have been able to open with 100% capacity – meaning hundreds or thousands of people could be sitting in close proximity.
While you do have a portion of the population rejecting the wearing of face masks due to one reason or another, when you have so many people sitting close to one another, ultimately venues need to be much stricter upon patrons wearing masks at all times. Looking through some venues COVID Safe plans:
Wearing a mask is recommended in situations where you may not be able to maintain physical distancing such as entering and exiting theatres or moving through areas where lots of people are gathered. Keep a mask with you, so that if you get into one of those situations, you have some added protection
Queensland Performing Arts Centre
Masks. We recommend you wear a mask when you are not sitting in your allocated seat and it is not possible to physically distance.
Brisbane Powerhouse
At the same time, some other venues do not mention masks at all in their COVID Plans.
The thing about face masks is that they are primarily to protect those around you. This means that it requires everyone around you to be wearing masks for you to remain the safest. Furthermore, to prevent the spread to someone nearby, it requires everyone (including you) to wear a mask. It is both a selfless act that you wear a face mask to protect others and others’ selfless act to protect you.
With so much uncertainty at this time, I believe that all performing arts venues and cinemas across the country – if they haven’t already – reconsider their plans and make face masks mandatory from the moment someone enters the theatre to the moment someone leaves. Theatres are difficult to social distance at high capacity and without seating removed – someone leaving mid-show to use the toilet could expose dozens of people should the worst happen. Therefore, there should be no exceptions for consuming beverages, being surrounded by family/friends or just not wanting to.
Those who rightfully have a medical or mental reason, for their safety, should consider performances later in the year to ensure they don’t get sick. On the other hand, regarding those that do not follow or attempt to subvert the rules, ushers should have the authority to eject them from the venue.
With indications that the UK strain of COVID-19 could be 70% more infectious than previously detected strains, we as a population as well as venue management should take such small steps to ensure that we as a state and country do not go further back. Mild inconvenience is much better than a several-month-long shut down after all…
