Government’s mixed messages on pandemic are leaving us out in the cold

Lighting director and chair of Bectu South Wales freelance branch Paul Middleton offers his personal perspective of why the coronavirus pandemic is hitting theatres and live events so hard.

It is 28 weeks since COVID-19 hit the headlines and the events industries came to a halt.

In the film 28 Weeks Later that was the point when the Yanks arrived to try to rescue the survivors of the virus that had infected the UK. No such luck this year however, as the Yanks are having just as much trouble dealing with Coronavirus.

In a blog for Bectu two months ago I described watching my hopes for financial support evaporate and the huge fears people have – rightly or wrongly – about remaining safe.

This Thursday (24th September) the Chancellor has announced new measures to replace the furlough scheme, just days after the government introduced confusing new restrictions to try to stem the rise in COVID-19 cases.

Ignored yet again

Sadly it looks as if the creative industries have been ignored again. His proposals do nothing for the three million excluded from government support, including so many in our creative industries.

The Job Support Scheme may help, but it will not save jobs and freelance roles in theatre and live events when so many cannot re-open because of government restrictions.

Scotland has announced support for freelancers and we are hoping similar news will come from the Welsh government.

Confusion reigns

Everyone I speak to is confused – how to get back to work safely is a huge concern.

Where people can be isolated and tested, getting back to work involves keeping them separated to prevent infection from “silent carriers”.

Quite where the additional risk comes from having seven people meeting indoors, rather than six, has never been explained. There was no need to wear masks back in March, but now they are mandatory in shops – though not when you are sitting down in pubs and restaurants.

You may be infectious for 14 days before you show symptoms. During this time you are classed as presymptomatic. If you never show symptoms you are asymptomatic, until the point where you cease to be infected.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported they believe that around 20% of infected people worldwide are asymptomatic at any given time. Until you show symptoms you are a “silent carrier” with opinion divided over your risk of spreading the disease being higher or lower. Dr Paul Sax has reported that it’s very hard to prove that they are driving the pandemic in a significant way.

He says viral burden — a marker for how contagious a person is — usually correlates with severity of symptoms, so those with no symptoms have less virus to spread.

The figures show that coronavirus is most dangerous to people with underlying health risks. Data from the ONS published in June showed that 9% of deaths have been solely caused by COVID-19 in the UK.

What is clear is that if you are infected and are coughing, you can spread the virus. A mask will help reduce that. Sharing the same straw, glass, or utensils greatly increases the risk.

In all cases spread is minimised by social distancing. The highest risk person feels well, goes out to a crowded pub on Friday night and gets close to someone that they don’t know, does the same on Saturday with a mild throat tickle, but then spends Sunday in bed coming down with COVID-19.

Why venues are remaining closed

The Project Moonshot testing scheme envisaged by the PM at a cost of over £100bn – but nowhere near available – seems to offer the only current option for indoor venues to re-open until there is a vaccine. Asymptomatic people would have to pay for tests with only symptomatic people getting free NHS tests.

Venues are staying closed because the likely losses of playing to a quarter-full venue mean that angels and promoters will prefer to keep their money in the bank.

Alongside that is the question of which productions are actually able to restart?

Are the original cast and crew still available?  Are the venues on a tour all available?  How long will it take to rehearse new crew and cast? Is the set and equipment in the right place?  Will the original hire company still be in business?

Some venues have been left with sets and equipment in place, while others have been emptied. The best estimate I’ve heard is that it will take 12-16 weeks to get the average West End production back up and running.

In the hire sector many businesses have made significant redundancies. Lack of government support meant they couldn’t afford to keep paying staff who had no work to do.

In my view the availability of large scale testing of everyone, not just those showing symptoms, will be the only way to give a sense of security back to the public to enable them to get back to normal activities like visiting theatres without the fear factor.

Hopes receding

During the first wave back in April an exponential increase in deaths closely followed the increase in new cases by a few days. As yet, while the number of new cases has been increasing, there is no corresponding rise in deaths. But things are changing all the time.

Amidst the uncertainty one thing is clear: the chances of a return to work in theatre and live events are getting smaller and smaller in the face of new government restrictions, an inadequate testing regime and the Chancellor’s failure to come up with appropriate financial support.

• Paul Middleton is lighting director at Pimlights and the chair of Bectu South Wales freelance branch.