In an email circulated to everyone attending events at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) this weekend, from today, masks are being made mandatory for all attendees until a date yet to be confirmed.
This announcement follows the confirmation that new community transmission of COVID-19 had occurred in the greater Brisbane area over the last (approximately) week. While nothing has been ordered by the Queensland State Government from what I can tell, QPAC has proactively opted to enforce that all patrons – including those at tomorrow evenings Come From Away opening night – will be required to wear face masks.
A section of the email sent out by QPAC this afternoon can be found below:
We want to reassure you that we’re prioritising the health and safety of our patrons, artists, staff, crew and all visitors to QPAC. In this fast changing environment and in the interest of being proactive, we wish to advise that masks are now mandatory at QPAC. This applies from Saturday 27 March 2021.
We ask that all our patrons bring their own masks with them to the theatre.
This new requirement builds on our commitment to a COVID Safe environment at QPAC including the use of the Check In Qld app for contact tracing purposes. We recommend you download the app via Google Play or the Apple Appstore prior to your next visit to ensure a fast and easy check in on arrival.
This is a change that I welcome in general, and I hope that in erring on the side of caution in the future, they maintain this requirement until the vaccine rollout has progressed much further in the state than it currently has. At least until the most “at-risk” groups are protected. You can read my full thoughts on mask usage in theatres HERE.
Here in Australia, it has been through the tireless efforts and sacrifices of the public that performing arts venues (among numerous other locations) have been able to open – but it is a continually volatile situation where one outbreak in a venue could lead to dozens, hundreds or even thousands of potential carriers.
