Amid the rising fear of the coronavirus new variant, the Sundance Film Festival has decided to offer Covid-19 booster shots to eligible in-person attendees.
Following the latest update on a festival mandate requiring all participants in screenings and official events to show proof of vaccination, plus a booster shot, and now the organizers are putting resources into offering boosters to the group in Park City, Utah, according to Variety.
“The health safety of our community is paramount,” Sundance organizers said in a press release earlier.
Over a series of calls this week, international artists and producing teams were informed of the offer, two individuals familiar with the matter said. While the initiative has not yet been formally announced, the CDC’s guidelines for booster eligibility say individuals must have received their second COVID vaccination at least six months prior to a booster shot.
Sundance is scheduled to run from January 20 to 30 and will also mount a hybrid virtual edition.
The festival is partnering with PandemSafe to offer free tests to all those who are eligible. On-site staff will be required to get tested upon checking in to the event, and all will be encouraged to repeat the test every 48 hours afterward. “We ask everyone to be vigilant about hand sanitizing, test often, and when outside of Festival-operated spaces to social distance when unmasked,” the site reads.
The site also stated that they would “continue to monitor the general levels of community transmission and local COVID-19 vaccination coverage in our in-person communities… Any further policy updates will be shared in early January.”
Other new protocols include limited capacity in movie screenings. Masks will be required in all screenings, and eating and drinking will no longer be allowed inside the cinema halls.
Many in-person gatherings have been canceled in Hollywood due to the omicron variant. The film festival will run from January 20 through 30 and will see all in-person attendees.
This includes the cancellation of the annual Palm Springs festival, the film academy’s annual Governors Awards, and the Critics Choice Awards.
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