Although more than half the U.S. population is vaccinated, CNN’s Kristen Rogers seems to be implying that going to a movie theater is still not safe in this country.
In her 04.15.21 piece titled “Are movie theaters safe at this point of the pandemic? What you should know” Rogers does point out that “fully vaccinated people are at much lower risk of catching Covid-19, but unvaccinated people remain unprotected from the ways coronavirus spreads” and that BEWARE “being in a theater puts you at higher risk for Covid-19.”
Although the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says that getting the virus from contaminated surfaces is very low and isn't a primary mode of transmission, Rogers urges moviegoers to “bring sanitizing wipes to clean things such as seat arms if needed.” Of course, this kind of fear-mongering is what I suspected would happen, even after close to 150 million Americans have been vaccinated.
That bang you heard in the industry when “Godzilla v Kong” had a pandemic-record $48 million opening at the box-office was not a drill. It was real. Americans are ready to go back to the movies. Don’t tell that to Rogers or CNN though, also don’t mention the fact that the Number of COVID-19 Outbreaks Traced to Cinemas is Zero. It goes against the narrative. Let’s just let the industry die, let’s continue to witness movie theaters permanently close on a daily basis.
Of course, I am not advocating that you become reckless and go to a movie theater without the knowledge that, yes, much like dining at a restaurant or seeing a friend, there is always the risk of catching the virus, but it is ultimately up to the individual to make that decision, not CNN, the New York Times or any other “legacy media” outlet.
I am still waiting to get fully vaccinated, that should hopefully happen in May, and when that does occur then you can bet I’ll be going back to the cinema when those antibodies are rumbling in my system. I miss it a lot.