Health Concerns at Local Cinema

Over the past year and a half the rise of Covid-19 and all the new pressures that come with it have begun to change how most people interact with the world around them. More specifically these effect how people interact with their local businesses.

While oftentimes the procedures that are (or sometimes aren’t) in place may seem arbitrary or even nonsensical to the consumer, it’s important to remember just how these things effect the workers at the establishments.

Drew Hudson has been working at the Cineplex is Fredericton since September, and although his love for films makes working there something of a dream job, he has some issues with the way his workplace functions during the global pandemic.

“We used to have a system in place with our seating where the system would automatically put a space between you and your group and any other person or group…” Said Hudson. “[Eventually I started to notice that] we weren’t doing that. Our machines weren’t doing that anymore. Which I thought was kind of stupid.”

 

Drew made it clear that most of the time people tried to be as compliant with the rules as possible. Outside of a few notable instances most patrons of the cinema were polite.

One issue Drew does feel uncomfortable with is how customers often watch the movie without their masks on.

It’s a respiratory [disease]. You’re breathing and eating with your mouth. Keep that on [when you’re in] a small area. Especially for busier movies that are new and coming out.”

Drew does acknowledge that the cinema makes most of its money on popcorn sales, and since you cannot eat popcorn with a mask it is difficult to enforce something against the practice.

While the necessity to show your vaccination records prior to entering the building is definitely a positive choice when it comes to public health, new strains and variations of Covid-19 like the recently discovered Omicron variant leaves the general public at greater risk of catching it even if they are fully vaccinated.

 

While it may be slightly inconvenient or evening a little annoying to avoid buying yourself a popcorn or bottle of pop before your movie going experience, it may help ease the minds of not only those you are sitting next to, but also those who work at the establishment who must deal with upwards of a hundred or more people a day.

Sometimes, especially during such a serious situation as a global pandemic it is worth it to think not only about those around you, but also those who serve you when you are out and about.