Performing Arts

Fauci: Performing arts theaters should be able to reopen in fall

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Over the weekend, Dr. Anthony Fauci told a national performing arts organization that he sees theaters being able to open at “almost full capacity” this fall — but with caveats, including continued mask use.

Fauci spoke in a virtual event presented by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals. In the Saturday session, titled “Public Health and Re-Opening the Live Performing Arts,” he said the time frame for reopening depends on the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination rollout. According to a report in The New York Times, Fauci said that when 70% to 85% of the population is vaccinated, that should establish effective herd immunity.

“If everything goes right, this is will occur sometime in the fall of 2021,” Fauci said, according to The New York Times. “so that by the time we get to the early to mid-fall, you can have people feeling safe performing onstage as well as people in the audience.”

His remarks specifically applied to the question of venues and performing arts organizations being able to open at or near full capacity, as opposed to the heavily reduced capacity that some are now using.

Fauci did not portray the return to normalcy as being as clear-cut as the flip of a switch, however. He said he believes it’s important for theaters to have good ventilation and good air filtration and thinks it will still be prudent to require patrons to wear masks. “Dr. Fauci also said that venues could mimic rules at some U.S. airlines and require audience members to provide negative test results in order to gain admittance,” said the Times report.

Though it does not appear that Fauci specifically addressed other venues such as festivals, music halls and arenas, the fall timetable for general immunity would seem to apply to those as well.

“We’ll be back in the theaters — performers will be performing, audiences will be enjoying it,” Fauci said, according to the Times report. “It will happen.”

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