By Barry Hirshfeld
The United States is currently experiencing a decrease in Covid-19 cases, attributive to the spread of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine; alleviating the urgency of covid protocols in fifteen U.S. states. Close-contact activities such as sports games, concerts, school, etc… are seemingly returning in these states and will return to many others in the near future; forcing many to pose questions regarding the status and viability of movie theaters during the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States.
With the end of the pandemic finally visible, a return to normalcy is not only yearned, but attainable by Americans. Pastimes which promote unregulated contact with individuals such as sports games have been deemed feasible and safe in many states, as cases dropped 40% statewide in the last two weeks, and fifteen U.S. states nullified their mask mandates and currently allow businesses to operate at full capacity; causing Americans to inquire about the return of other popular pre-pandemic activities, such as the viability of movie theaters. Most indoor movie theaters, though restricted under strict covid protocols, are operational and open in the United States, although multiple states and counties prohibit them from opening altogether. Their status is dependent on the regulations of the state or county in which they are located, and are only closed in those whose tier of covid regulations has reached purple.
Ultimately, stagnating the spread of the Covid-19 virus through the U.S. by upholding safety protocols, regulations, and mandates, like the U.S. is currently doing, will increase the radius of possible activities available to Americans, including going to movie theaters, returning Americans to their pre-pandemic normalcy.