Blocking off seats

[Mark Lane]

Kenneth Wuepper;
We are also in Michigan and I have been trying to get approval to open for 10 people for over a month. I get the run around. The health department tells me they only are going to deal with food and water, and I have to check with the Attorney General who enforces the orders, but they could not confirm or deny that I was correct and we could open for up to 10 people.. they sent me to the state covid task force who would also give me cut and paste answers and say they are based on science.. which was not even my question.
We have been open for 10 people for a few weeks.. since no one could say it was against the rules, we opened for 10 people are less, on the downlo (just servicing the community).. We are doing very well and are looking to see if we can expand while staying low key.

[Martin Brooks]

We got the word from the local health department that our 1,750 seat theatre can now allow 10 people for a show. The 2,200 sear theatre across the street is limited to 10 people maximum as well.

Guess we are not going to do much yet.

I'm all in favor of doing everything to keep people from getting infected, but 10 people in a 1750 theater seems completely ridiculous. If people are six feet apart, that should be fine, so every other row and every other or every third feet should be fine. People are certainly far closer together in an open supermarket.

[Carsten Kurz]

10 people regardless of the size of the theatre? On what 'Science' is that based?

[Steve Guttag]

The science of "I can find anything I want on the internet." There is also "science" that says theatres are safer (a comparative) than other indoor activities, like indoor-dining, because in theatres everyone faces forward rather than each other. We also, in many modern cinemas, can hard-sell seats to ensure distancing from "strangers." And despite the claims of COVID-19 being able to use the HVAC system to kill patrons...I've yet to see the study that shows just what it takes for someone, with COVID-19, unmasked to cough...have those water droplets to get picked up by the HVAC system then blown over COVID-19 lifetime in that "medium" to be deposited in a potentially lethal manner onto another patron. I'm not saying that HVAC systems cannot be a transport medium I'm saying using the size/scope of a "typical" cinema and the manner in which patrons sit, have they actually run the experiment with a COVID-19 like sized particle and traced it through the system and determined that not only would it survive that duration but it would have x% chance of landing/inhaled. Then, repeat the experiment with different filters and/or UV light in the return path.

At what point are theatres safe enough (especially as compared to other activities like, air travel, churches, indoor dining) and are we really already there, if not more so.

If people, including MDs are going to throw down the "science" card, then bring out your scientific evidence and make sure your studies depict, to a reasonable extent, the business you are condemning rather than making a general statement of what COVID-19 could do.

[Kenneth Wuepper]

I think that the Legionnaire's disease associated with air handling systems is where this extreme caution comes into play.

The answer to the question of how the health department can make these rules is the same answer I get from the front of house sound mixer that is making the audience ears bleed. "I do it because I can!"

[Steve Guttag]

So do most cinemas have a similar type HVAC system to the ones more likely to have LegionellaLegionellaLegionella? Cinemas typically have many smaller HVAC systems that are one to an auditorium rather than larger systems with cooling towers and such. In any event...to make the caution legitimate, there would need to be a study on a "typical" cinema environment to determine if COVID-19 is warranted.

[Justin d'Entremont]

The hockey arena in the next town over from us uses thin rope (think, 550 paracord) under, up, and over the entire seat and tied at the bottom near the floor so that the seat can't fold down even someone tries.