Companies that organize concerts and plays on Broadway have offered their help to the Government to
promote vaccination
against COVID-19.
"We put all the resources of the live events industry on hand to help," wrote the leading entertainment promotion companies in a letter to President Joe Biden.
"We share the vision of rapid, equitable and widespread vaccine distribution," they added, "It is our duty, as companies rooted in communities across the country, to do our part to put America on a positive path during this time of crisis. ”.
[White people are being vaccinated against COVID-19 more than blacks and Latinas]
"Although the pandemic has closed us down, we have vast resources that, if fully utilized, could provide invaluable mechanisms in the distribution of vaccines in our country," they say in the letter signed by a dozen companies and organizations, including Live Nation Entertainment Inc., Anschutz Entertainment Group, National Independent Venue Association, among others.
The document
does not mention if the services offered will be free of charge
or if they will seek government funds, but it does indicate that 95% of companies and workers in the live events industry have lost almost 100% of their income and that they are "Ready to work immediately."
[Biden sets a goal of 150 million vaccinations in 100 days. But herd immunity is still a long way off]
Some spaces
have already been converted into vaccination centers
, including the Los Angeles County Forum, which is owned by former Microsoft president Steve Ballmer.
If this proposal made to Biden is implemented, venues such as the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the Kings Theater in Brooklyn or the 9:30 Club in Washington DC could become places for the distribution of vaccines.
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Biden increased his goal to contain the pandemic on Monday, when he noted that he believes 1.5 million vaccines can be administered a day.
He had previously set a goal of 100 million doses against COVID-19 in the first 100 days of his term.
The federal government has distributed 41.4 million doses to the states as of Monday, of which 22.7 million have been administered, that is, about
55%.
Also, about 3.3 million people have received the two doses necessary to achieve immunization, which represents
less than 1% of the population
, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, for its acronym in English).
Taking advantage of spaces like stadiums, arenas and other venues for vaccination
could mean the return to work of employees
of the live events companies that clean, direct traffic, sell tickets and operate the venues, especially if money is allocated. of federal grants to those places.
These venues where concerts and events are held are located, for the most part, in urban and rural communities, often close to mass transit and with easy access to parking.
“Our interiors have good lighting and
standard empty cooling systems
.
Due to the nature of our business, our buildings and our workforce are used to customer lines and crowd management, ”the letter says which also highlights the ability to use ticketing systems for advance notification and entry. scheduled.
[Moderna's vaccine is effective against new coronavirus mutations but could immunize for less time against the South African variant]
The crisis that has unleashed the pandemic has hit this sector hard.
Promoters and locals who would normally be in stiff competition came together to pressure Congress for help.
The stimulus package approved in December
included $ 15 billion
for owners and operators of independent live music venues and entertainment organizations affected by the COVID-19 stay orders.
The aid is designed to keep the premises afloat, pay salaries to employees and preserve an economic sector essential for communities throughout the country.
"We have been closed for almost a whole year to protect public health," the letter says.
"Please
let us now work to protect public health
."
With information from the
Wall Street Journal.
