Rolling Stone: Clubs have been on shaky ground since the pandemic hit in March 2020. Some closed, others lost staff, and all were faced with navigating new rules and regulations to keep audiences safe. Falling Covid cases and vaccines brought a glimmer of hope last summer, but the onset of Omicron in November has left the future far from certain.
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I think clubs are the one place where I feel like I can’t excuse people going during the pandemic. Just because so much about it is so unnecessary and literally cannot be done safely. Because at least with concerts, restaurants, plays/musicals, and other outdoor events, COVID-19 safety protocols can be implemented without completely hindering the experience of going to such an event. But with clubs you have to be around people you can’t socially distance yourself from, and the amount of people drinking and the expectation to drink at clubs just isn’t a good accommodation with safety practices. Because how can you dance at a club or mingle at a club 6 feet apart, or practice safe Covid protocols indoors, in a pack space. I guess we’ll have to see how that goes, and I do have so much sympathy for club owners, since this must be out really hard time. But when even the baseline of wearing mass is not required but rather encouraged, I can’t help but lose some of that sympathy.
This article discusses an interesting problem that businesses have been dealing with for the past two years, but is reaching an even higher peak now due to the surge in Omicron cases. A quote from the venue’s operator, who says “What we’re going to do with staff who test positive is a huge problem,” highlights the current severity of the problem. With how highly contagious Omicron is, so many people are testing positive. This creates a a shortage of both staff and patrons. Eventually, the question will have to be addressed: with Covid not going away anytime soon, and instead transitioning from a pandemic to endemic, when will the quarantine period be waived? When we get a cold, only in the most severe cases will someone stay home from work. However, with Covid, even a less severe case could lead to severe infections. Only when everyone is safely vaccinated can we put it fully behind us and begin to live with it.
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