Are cinemas safe in the face of the explosion of cases of covid due to the establishment of the delta variant in France?
Not enough according to some epidemiologists and, above all, according to the government, which wants to strengthen the protection of spectators.
Emmanuel Macron announced that cultural places, and therefore dark rooms, will have to control their audience and allow entry, from July 21, only to people with a health pass (full vaccination or negative test).
The decision ulcerates some of the professionals of the cinemas, exempted until now from such controls, unlike festivals and concert halls for example.
Read also: Health pass: cinemas say they are "punished", festivals and concerts want to be pragmatic
In a communique common to several of these organizations *, the signatories thus announce to seize the Council of State to contest what they consider to be a “
discrimination
”. They ask "
the judge to postpone the implementation of the health pass by aligning at least the date and terms of this measure for all sectors welcoming the public
". Or a ten-day postponement, from July 21 to early August. "
This situation represents a clear breach of equality vis-à-vis other sectors such as restaurants, shops or transport
", they say, complaining of "the
extremely short time that was allocated to cinemas in the implementation place of the health pass
”.
Read also: Cinemas, theaters, festivals, night clubs… What is authorized and what epidemiologists recommend
The referral comes when, the day after Emmanuel Macron's announcements, the government had already made several relaxations, including a first concerning adolescents, to the delight of professionals in the sector.
Despite the explosion of cases of contamination in this age group (+ 80% last week for 10-19 year olds), Olivier Veran explained that children from 12 to 17 years old would be exempt from presenting a health pass. until August 30 in places where it was not requested until now.
For the cultural sector, it is mainly cinemas, the first leisure activity of the French.
The cinemas were able to reopen on May 19, first with a restricted gauge, then without a gauge since June 30.
Wearing a mask remains compulsory before, after and throughout the session, even if the room managers struggle to ensure that this obligation is respected once the lights are off.
Some believe, moreover, that it is up to the public to make the law in the room, "
as the spectators do when there are chatterers during the films
", according to a representative of the sector.
To read also: Cannes: "the masks are the rule", the call to order of Thierry Frémaux facing the Variant Delta
Wearing a mask is however considered a sine qua non for the presence of the public in an enclosed space according to most epidemiologists. A fortiori at the time of a resumption of contaminations. Antoine Flahault, professor of public health at the University of Geneva, judges for example that due to the transmission of the virus by aerosols, particles which can remain suspended in the air for several hours and cross greater distances, it would be necessary ensure the good ventilation of cinemas and be able to equip these places with CO2 sensors, which provide an indicator of air renewal. Even if it means sparing intermissions when the lights turn red.
* French Association of arthouse cinemas, National Federation of Cinemas, Association of Independent Producers, Association of Independent Cinema, Union of Cinema Producers, Union of Independent Producers, National Federation of Film Publishers, Unified European Distributors, Fesac.
