[ad_1]
200 leading figures in the field of arts and entertainment in France have signed a petition saying they are ready to be vaccinated against Covid 19 as soon as possible.
They hope others will follow suit in a country where 58% of respondents say they do not want to be vaccinated and the government campaign is slow to take off.
Among those who signed an appeal published in the Parisian newspaper are Daniel Auteuil – best known outside of France for his role in the films Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources – and French actor Lambert Wilson.
“We are committed to making vaccination as soon as possible as a decisive act in the general attempt to control the pandemic,” says the text, which is signed by dozens of recognized French personalities, including several theater directors and other prominent in cultural life. French.
The appeal was launched by Stanislas Nordey, director of the Théâtre de Strasbourg. The area in eastern France, including Strasbourg, has been particularly affected by Covid-19.
Theaters in France are currently closed along with cinemas and museums, with only a short respite in the summer.
In late November, President Emmanuel Macron announced that they could reopen in mid-December if the number of Covid-19 cases declined, but an increase in infections meant those hopes were dashed.
It was then suggested that they might reopen on January 7, but that date has also been removed.
Taking action
“If we continue at this rate, the venues will remain closed within a year,” Nordey told Le Parisien newspaper. “We cannot continue to complain. This petition is a way of doing something to try to get out of this stalemate.”
Being vaccinated was “a civic gesture,” he said, urging artists to share a “collective responsibility” to try to fight the virus.
Nordey said the response from the people he contacted was immediate and unanimous and that while some people did not respond when contacted, no one declined.
“I think everyone feels that if we do nothing, we will never get out of this mess. We wanted to send a strong message, but one that comes from us, not the government.”
He hopes that others will step forward to set an example, in other sectors that have been severely affected.
“If those in the restaurant business want to join us, they are welcome,” he added.
