At a virtual event over the weekend, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that theaters, among other performing arts venues, could once again host events as early as the fall.
Fauci shared his time horizon during a conference hosted by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals. “If everything goes right, this is will occur some time in the fall of 2021,” he said, “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.”
The Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was careful to caveat his timeline. He stated that the timetable would be incumbent upon a successful vaccine rollout, which will ultimately lead to herd immunity. He suggested that the level of immunization needed to achieve herd immunity must fall within a range of 70% to 85% of the population.
Fauci fielded additional questions regarding what performers and venues can do to ensure COVID-19 transmission remains low. He responded by pointing out a German study, which suggests that venues with superior ventilation systems greatly mitigate the risk of transmission. Fauci also suggested venues do their own research on the effectiveness of their ventilation systems and attempt to replicate the study.
Source: The New York Times