Elderly People Shouldn't Go to the Movies, Authorities Warn
by EG
As cases of the coronavirus illness spread across the United States, the CDC is advising elderly people to take precautions against contracting the virus. That includes avoiding crowds in closed-in places. Like movie theaters. That could be bad news for theaters that have already seen a slowdown in business likely caused by the virus. Read on for details.
Over the weekend, the Jane Austen adaptation Emma and Ben Affleck's new film The Way Back each drew plenty of strength from older moviegoers.
Roughly 17 percent of ticket buyers to see Emma were 55 or older, and 14 percent for The Way Back, a drama about an alcoholic, washed-up basketball star who returns to coaching, according exit polling service PostTrak. Older consumers can often lay the foundation for an adult drama's success at the box office (1917 and Little Women are two recent examples). In 2018, the latest year for which data is available, moviegoers 60 or older accounted for 15 percent of all ticket sold.
Now, however, the Centers for Disease Control is advising the elderly, as well as those groups with underlying medical conditions, to "avoid crowds" and, further, to "stay home as much as possible" should there be an outbreak in their communities. The agency says the elderly are twice as likely to develop a serious diseases if they catch the coronavirus.
The directive was quietly posted on the CDC's website late last week, just as The Way Back and Emma were opening nationwide. It is the first occasion the U.S. government has suggested that any segment of the population limit their contact because of the coronavirus.
"Avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated spaces. Your risk of exposure to respiratory viruses like COVID-19 may increase in crowded, closed-in settings with little air circulation if there are people in the crowd who are sick," states the CDC directive.
Across Hollywood, the CDC notice was circulated internally at the studios, which are bracing for a likely downturn in moviegoing in the weeks ahead. No theaters are presently closed in North America, unlike in China, Italy and parts of South Korea.
The CDC doesn't define elderly populations by age group, but some experts consulting with the health agency say those over 60 should avoid going places where there are large concentrations of people, whether movie theaters, shopping malls, family gatherings or religious services (cruise ships are at the top of the list). They also note that those in their 70s and 80s are even more vulnerable.
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
Are you still going to movies? Let us know in the comments below.