Do television sets benefit from preferential treatment with regard to the wearing of masks? The question arises when we see that people in the audience do not have it in most shows, while theaters are now required to require it even when distance between spectators is possible.
“Why me, in my broadcast room [pour la danse contemporaine], which is exactly like a recording studio, the spectators must wear the mask during the whole performance, them? »Asked the general and artistic director of the Agora de la danse, Francine Bernier, when she watched Everybody talks about it last Sunday.
Admittedly, the people in the audience were in small numbers, in addition to being separated by enormous plexiglass. But at least they were able to remove their masks, during this program where the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé was invited. Ironically, it was his ministry which had reimposed the wearing of masks at all times in theaters a week earlier.
Confusion
Coming into force on October 8, the new regulations allow rooms to be filled to their maximum capacity. On the other hand, spectators must henceforth keep their face covers, even when the tickets have not all found a taker and the distance can therefore be maintained.
After verifications with the Ministry of Health, the television studios are also subject to the new health instructions, to the astonishment of Guillaume Lespérance, producer of Everybody talks about it. “Public Health has approved our plan,” he insists. In every bubble [entre les plexiglas], it’s the same family, and we make sure that people live at the same address. Everyone’s vaccination proof is also checked. “
Regardless, people who will attend Radio-Canada’s Sunday mass live this weekend will still have the right to remove their face coverings when seated, reiterated public television on Friday. Ditto for those who will participate in the next shootings of 1res times and Children of TV.
“The audience of Everybody talks about it, from Children of TV and of 1res times is limited to about twenty people, in large studios that can hold a lot more. The measures taken in our broadcasts therefore go much further than wearing a mask, which is required as relief to enable hundreds, even thousands of people to be gathered in the same room, ”explained Marc Pichette, spokesperson by email. from Radio-Canada.
The mask, an obstacle
The general manager of the Professional Association of Spectators (RIDEAU), Julie-Anne Richard, does not blame Radio-Canada for giving itself a privilege. On the contrary, she envies the crown corporation and points out that many people in the performing world would like to follow suit if they were allowed to.
In other words, theaters prefer to have a choice. Either they fill all their seats and require the mask to be worn at all times, or they limit the number of seats in order to keep a distance in the audience, thus allowing spectators to remove their face coverings when they are seated. The second option was in effect before October 8, but has since been banned due to the universal obligation to mask in cultural places.
“The current regulations are nonsense. Why on October 7, people could remove their masks with distancing, and the next day they could not? It has nothing to do with public health. We just wanted to put in place simple regulations that apply to everyone, but it turns out to be more complicated ”, deplores Mr.me Richard.
As reported The duty earlier this week, the mandatory mask appeared to be a serious hindrance to cultural recovery. Even with more tickets to sell, some venues are struggling to fill as many seats as they did before October 8.
“There have been a few cancellations because of the mask. There are also people who were not ready to be shoulder to shoulder with their neighbor after a year and a half of distancing, ”reports the director of RIDEAU.