Walking Through ‘Disinfectant Mists’: The New Norm for Future Concerts?
The coronavirus pandemic will likely change cleaning procedures in public venues for years to come, but could walking through “disinfectant mists” before entering a concert venue be one of them?
The U.K.’s The Mirror postulates that this could be a reality. Many of the U.K.’s larger venue owners are optimistic about running shows again after this summer, but plenty of health measures would need to be put in place.
The Mirror reports, “The chief executive of London’s Royal Albert Hall [Craig Hassall] said that temperature tests, health surveys and disinfectant mists are among the ideas he’s asked the government to look at.” (The CDC has not, as of yet, approved of any “disinfectant mist,” and on their website, they note that these products are not meant for use on humans, “You should never eat, drink, breathe or inject these products into your body or apply directly to your skin as they can cause serious harm.”)
Hassall got the mist idea from South Korea saying, “We’ve asked the government to look at how venues in other countries have been operating…The test case in Seoul – where a Phantom of the Opera production has continued running – has seen audience members walking through a light mist of disinfectant, having their temperature taken, and filling in a questionnaire about their symptoms and recent places they’ve visited.”
Hassall added, “If we’re to find a solution, it is going to be a combination of numerous measures, from increased access points to hand sanitizers, Perspex screens and PPE for staff.”
Additional measures, including social distancing of concertgoers, would also have to be put in place. This would likely allow for up to 30 percent capacity in a venue, but even doing that would lead to a massive financial hit on a venue with Hassall adding most venues need at least 90 percent capacity to “break even.”
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