As we creep ever forward into the New Year, it seems that our progress is a “one step forward/two steps back” type of venture. In the last few months of 2021, it felt as though we were getting back to a variable of “normal.” Broadway reopened, concerts were being held and restaurants were beginning to serve again, despite a lowered capacity due to social distancing. Events were on the rise and while much of the aforementioned entertainment was held outside, the indoor activities were once again beginning to blossom.
In September, I was called back from furlough and reinstated as a full-time employee. Due to the vaccines and masks, we were hopeful regarding the future of our industry as we returned from the abyss. I was fortunate to have a job after more than a year of wondering if streamed concerts and online events would be the future of live shows. Under the weight of Covid-19, some companies didn’t make it into the New Year, and — since my return to the workforce — I have walked by many empty spaces that once housed eateries.
Doing More with Less
Of course, our return was not without its challenges and, due to financial and physical restraints, we were working with less staff and resources while promoters, event planners and venues rushed to fill their coffers after the long layoff. Despite the trials of working in a seemingly reimagined industry, we were happy to meet the task head-on as we pushed forward with the hope of returning to where we once were. Part of the new live production landscape was ensuring that everyone was vaccinated and masked, not only as internal edict by our own company, but because our customers demanded it.
In New York City, a vaccine visa was required and masks were a requisite if one wanted to work in certain venues, restaurants and buildings. I found myself in the awkward position of letting engineers and techs know that I couldn’t hire them if they didn’t accept the new terms of engagement. While most adhered to the new rules, there were a few that held out until they missed a few gigs and then, despite their reluctance, decided that they wanted to work. Of course, there were those who were resolute in their beliefs and could not comply because their principles took precedent over their need to work.
Omicron’s Impact
This discussion may seem like an old conversation and, while that may be true, it is still very much a contemporary topic as well as a divisive issue. The end of December 2021 saw a spike in infections due to the new Omicron variant of the virus, and with that spike, the cancellations started rolling in. What had been looking like a good end to a bad year just ladened us with doubts as we headed into 2022. The Omicron variant was taking a toll with many entertainers and techs testing positive for the virus. Broadway shut down shows, certain performers had to cancel their New Year events in Times Square, and even late-night television had to cancel shows due to their stars being infected. In my office, a good portion of our staff was quarantined, and those of us who could were instructed to work from home. It did not bode well that this variation of the virus was spreading quickly, even though the symptoms were mild for those who were vaccinated.
The fact that vaccinated people were getting sick became fodder for those opposing the vaccine and who were quick to reaffirm their convictions due to the infection rate among vaccinated persons. Although quarantines ruined quite a few Christmas and New Year plans, it still remains that the vaccinated persons who tested positive suffered only mild symptoms and were able to quarantine in the comfort of their own home rather than in an ICU. My wife’s cousin, who is in her 60’s, refused to be vaccinated, and when she fell ill with the virus, she spent a good deal of time in the ICU. Her son, his wife and four children, all unvaccinated, became very ill with the virus, and his 15-year-old son also had to spend time in the ICU. Fortunately, they all survived, but rather than proving the usefulness of vaccines, it only cemented their belief that they are unnecessary in terms of surviving this deadly disease.
Protect Yourself — and Others
To be clear: Vaccinations do not protect only the vaccinated person. They also protect the hospital system, which is inundated and overwhelmed with unvaccinated, sick people taking up ICU beds and making it difficult to free up an ICU bed for any other medical emergency. In essence, by getting vaccinated, you are not only shielding yourself from a devastating illness, you are also doing your part to keep one more hospital bed open for others who may need it for themselves. It’s the same with wearing a mask. Instead of refusing to wear it as an assertion of personal (and political) freedom, we should think of a mask as a courtesy to not spread the virus to other people. As an analogy, say a friend comes to your house and informs you that they are incontinent, but they refuse to wear an adult diaper since it infringes upon their freedom. Would you still let them sit on your couch?
I realize that cute metaphors or even hard facts aren’t going to change anyone’s belief or convictions, but this is a worldwide pandemic and not just a plague affecting our country. There is a school of thought suggesting that since the Omicron variant has been milder than the Delta variant, the virus is in its final throes. Unfortunately, it has also been recently reported that a new strain combining the Omicron and Delta variants has been discovered in Cyprus. Known as the Deltacrom variant, it’s too early to tell what impact it may have, causing concern that we may not yet be finished with this pandemic.
Since the middle of March 2020 through the end of 2021, Covid-19 and its variants have made abundantly clear the fragility of our industry. Cancellations of events and the shuttering of venues is not the way any of us wanted to start the new year, and though the virus is old news with which we have all grown weary, I would strongly suggest that we do whatever we can to avoid a repeat performance.
