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Was That a Cough? Going Back to the Movies in Texas – The New York Times, Nytimes.com

Was That a Cough? Going Back to the Movies in Texas – The New York Times, Nytimes.com

A few movie theaters in Texas opened on Saturday, early experiments in back-to-normal living after a long coronavirus lockdown.

A masked staff member at the Palladium Cinema in San Antonio on Saturday. (Credit …) Christopher Lee for the New York Times

May 2, , 7 : 30 pm ET

  • SAN ANTONIO – It happened early inside the cool, darkened cineplex, before Vin Diesel even had a chance to turn superhuman, as people sat munching popcorn and sipping sodas in their plush recliner seats.

    Someone coughed.

    If anyone seated nearby was alarmed, no one showed it. The cough sounded muffled: The moviegoer was wearing a
    On Saturday, three movie theaters in the San Antonio area became some of the first in the country to reopen, a move that worried some infectious-disease experts but was applauded by those who bought tickets and went to the show.

    Santikos Entertainment opened three theaters, offering discounted prices, a limited food menu, workers in
    masks and greeters who opened doors as people entered, limiting contact with door handles.

    The theaters were showing older releases for $ 5, and at the Palladium, in an upscale shopping center called the Rim, bu siness was steady – low for a Saturday in May, but higher than what might be expected in a state still grappling with a coronavirus outbreak that has killed nearly people, 75 of them in Bexar County, which includes San Antonio.

    Texas took a big step out of its coronavirus lockdown on Friday, allowing restaurants, malls, retail stores and some other businesses to resume operations, with strict limits on the number of patrons allowed inside.

    Movie theaters, like restaurants, were allowed to seat (only) percent of their listed capacity.
    Grady McClung and his wife Rachel went to the 1: 19 PM showing of the Christian movie “I Still Believe” at the Palladium, each wearing a (mask.

    “Yesterday was my birthday, so I got the first two tickets for the first opening of the first movie in the first movie theater, ”said Mr. McClung, a project manager for a telecommunications company who lives in nearby Boerne. “There’s about (seats in a) – seat auditorium. We’re well spaced out. ”

    To sit in a theater with dozens of strangers was a walk on the wild side of public health. But as the movies played and the plots thickened amid the crunch-crunch of patrons chewing popcorn, Hollywood was doing what it has done for decades: providing an escape, albeit masked and at a distance.

    Mr. McClung and others at the theater said that before buying their tickets they had researched the steps the company was taking to keep people safe and were satisfied that they were not putting themselves at risk. Going to the movies, some of them said, brought back a touch of much-needed normality after weeks under quarantine.

    “If you feel like you have fear, then that’s perfectly fine, and you don’t go out,” Mr. McClung said. “But other people need to get their lives back. We didn’t go to movies all the time. I mean, probably five or six a year. But this was something that was right for now. ”

    At the afternoon showing of the Vin Diesel action-adventure flick “Bloodshot,” moviegoers kept their distance, sitting two, three or four seats apart. Some wore masks, and others wore them in the lobby but

    In Row F, the company mistakenly put three guests in F1, F2 and F3, nearly elbow to elbow . F2 moved down to F7 to ensure social distancing.

    Tim Handren, the chief executive of Santikos Entertainment, said the company was taking the safety of both employees and customers seriously and was going beyond the state’s health requirements.

    “We are following, we believe, the best guidelines that we can to open safely,” Mr. Handren said in a YouTube message to the public.

    Masks were recommended, but not required, for customers. In the lobby of the Palladium, a masked worker asked customers as they entered whether they or anyone they had been in contact with had experienced fever, chills or other symptoms in the past days. Signs warned that if the answer was yes, they would not be allowed to enter and the cost of their tickets would be refunded.
    Cashiers stood behind plexiglass shields. At least percent of the seats in each auditorium were left unsold. Many doors were left open so people did not have to touch them. The arcade games were shut down, and no cash was accepted – those with cash exchanged their bills for (gift cards.

    “We’re trying to minimize the number of touch points, where you could be interacting with, touching, things that we don’t need you touching, or our employees, ”Mr. Handren said in the video.

    The company had asked employees if they were comfortable returning to work before reopening, Mr. Handren said, and “our employees have resoundingly said, ‘We want to come back.’” Santikos had furlored employees and had kept its theaters closed for more than 74 days.
    Mr. Handren said that the company would probably not
    That said , business was brisk: By the early evening, the Palladium had sold tickets and was still getting walk-up customers.

    Infectious-disease experts said they worried that the decision by Gov. Greg Abbott to include movie theaters in the first phase of the state’s partial reopening was risky.

    “You’re not going to catch me at a theater any time soon,” said Dr. Diana Cervantes, an expert in infection prevention and control who is an assistant professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, a medical school in Fort Worth.
    “When you Think of what aids transmission, it is going to be the type of contact you have with the person who’s infected, the length of time, proximity – all of those factors come into play. The amount of time starts to be a little too prolonged for me to be sitting there with a bunch of strangers. ”

    Joe Garcia, , a retired military chaplain in a camouflage
    mask, said he had no health concerns. He printed out a copy of the theater’s safety procedures and brought it with him.

    He and his family have a long-running tradition: Once a week, they bring his – year-old daughter, who has cerebral palsy, to the movies, one of her major social outings. The tradition had been put on hold during the coronavirus lockdown.

    Garcia, his daughter and his other daughter, Karla Ross, 75, went to the 4: 19 PM showing of “I Still Believe.”

    It was the first time in six weeks that Mr. Garcia, who lives in Blanco, had seen Ms. Ross, who lives in San Antonio, because Mr. Garcia’s age makes him more vulnerable to the virus than others.

    For their day back at the movies, he had no worries. “We feel safe,” he said.

      

        

                                                       Updated April,

                                          

                     (What should I do if I feel sick?                 (If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor . They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.                                              (When will this end?                 

    This is a difficult question, because a lot depends on how well the virus is contains A better question might be: “How will we know when to reopen the country?” In an American Enterprise Institute report

  • , Scott Gottlieb, Caitlin Rivers, Mark B. McClellan, Lauren Silvis and Crystal Watson staked out four goal posts for recovery : Hospitals in the state must be able to safely treat all patients requiring hospitalization, without resorting to crisis standards of care; the state needs to be able to at least test everyone who has symptoms; the state is able to conduct monitoring of confirmed cases and contacts; and there must be a sustained reduction in cases for at least 20 days.                                              (How can I help?)                 
    The Times Neediest Cases Fund has started a special campaign to help those who have been affected, which accepts donations here Charity Navigator , which evaluates charities using a numbers- based system, has a running list of nonprofits working in communities affected by the outbreak. You can give blood through the American Red Cross , and World Central Kitchen has stepped in to distribute meals in major cities. More than 40, 0 coronavirus-related GoFundMe fund-raisershave started in the past few weeks. (The sheer number of fund-raisers means more of them are likely to fail

    to meet their goal, though.)

                                                 (Should I wear a mask?)                 

    The C.D.C. has has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms

    . Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.

                                                 (How do I get tested?                 

    If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the CDC recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance – because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance – you won’t be able to get tested.                                              (How does coronavirus spread?                  It seems to spread very easily from person to person, especially in homes, hospitals and other confined spaces. The pathogen can be carried on tiny respiratory droplets that fall as they are coughed or sneezed out. It may also be transmitted when we touch a contaminated surface and then touch our face.                                              (Is there a vaccine yet?                  No. Clinical trials are underway in the United States, China and Europe. But American officials and pharmaceutical executives have said that a vaccine remains at least to months away.                                              What makes this outbreak so different?                  Unlike the flu, there is no known treatment or vaccine, and little is known about this particular virus so far. It seems to be more lethal than the flu, but the numbers are still uncertain. And it hits the elderly and those with underlying conditions – not just those with respiratory diseases – particularly hard.                                              (What if somebody in my family gets sick?                 

    If the family member does not need hospitalization and can be cared for at home, you should help him or her with basic needs and monitor the symptoms, while also keeping as much distance as possible,

    according to the guidelines issued by the CDC

    If there’s space, the sick family member should stay in a separate room and use a separate bathroom. If masks are available, both the sick person and the caregiver should wear them when the caregiver enters the room. Make sure not to share any dishes or other household items and to regularly clean surfaces like counters, doorknobs, toilets and tables. Don’t forget to wash your hands frequently.                                              (Should I stock up on groceries?)                  Plan two weeks of meals if possible. But people should not hoard food or supplies. Despite the empty shelves, the supply chain remains strong.

    And remember to wipe the handle of the grocery cart with a disinfecting wipe and wash your hands as soon as you get home.                                              (Can I go to the park?)                 

    Yes, but make sure you keep six feet of distance between you and people who don’t live in your home. Even if you just hang out in a park, rather than go for a jog or a walk, getting some fresh air, and hopefully sunshine, is a good idea.

                               

                     (Should I pull my money from the markets?)                 That’s not a good idea. Even if you’re retired, Having a balanced portfolio of stocks and bonds so that your money keeps up with inflation, or even grows, makes sense. But retirees may want to think about having enough cash set aside for a year’s worth of living expenses and big payments needed over the next five years.                                              (What should I do with my (k)?                 

    Watching your balance go up and down can be scary. You may be wondering if you should decrease your contributions – don’t! If your employer matches any part of your contributions, make sure you’re at least saving as much as you can to get that “free money.”                                                 ()               

      Read More


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