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© Georgi Kozhukharov
Starting today, visits to indoor cinemas, museums, galleries, and libraries, as well as cultural events held in outdoor settings are permitted, but subject to certain distance requirements. An order for this was issued by the Minister of Health, Kiril Ananiev. Later in the day, he issued a new order stating that the air conditioners in these buildings should not work.
The order allows concerts and other outdoor performances to be held, but the organizers must not exceed 30% of the maximum occupancy capacity. The condition is also to comply with the “requirement of social distance and all anti-epidemic measures”, but the order does not specify what they are.
Movie theater visits are also allowed, and even there theaters can fill up to 30% of maximum capacity. The order states that visits to museums, galleries and libraries in the interior are permitted, but
theaters are not mentioned.
In practice, this means that going to the theater remains prohibited as part of anti-coronavirus measures. Asked by Dnevnik, the press center of the Ministry of Health recommended waiting today for the press conference of the Minister of Culture Boil Banov, in which he would probably give explanations.
From there, they did not answer the question of why one can go to the cinema and not to the theater. They noted that theatrical stages can be opened outdoors, which is a practice in the summer season, although most of the performances are usually indoors.
It is very early for indoor presentations.
Later, the Minister of Culture clarified that outdoor cultural events will initially have to be individual shows and small group concerts. “It is absurd for artists to disguise themselves as masks. The bands themselves have to discuss how to do everything,” Banov said.
For spectators, each event organizer should require them to wear masks and make sure they enter according to a scheme, without crashes, with 30% of seats sold and hand sanitizing.
It is too early to talk about indoor performances, the minister said. According to him, the reason why they are allowed to visit cinemas, not theaters, is that there are no actors on the cinema stage, and “the spectator, assured, is not a problem.” According to him, the risk for the actors is great and the theaters will also be opened, but not at this stage, he said.
Air conditioning in theaters should not work at least in this first stage, added Banov, noting that this moment is omitted by order of the Minister of Health and will probably be supplemented.
All of these public events were banned with the imposition of a state of emergency on March 13.
A month ago, the government guaranteed the payment of wages to workers in state theaters and operas during the crisis. The money for them will carry over to the income level for the “Performing Arts” budget program for the same period last year for each state cultural institute, but for no more than 6 months.
There is also state aid for independent artists, but there is still a lot of discussion about it. A press conference by Minister of Culture Boil Banov is scheduled for later today.
