Commentary: It’s not safe for movie theaters to be opening up.

Century+Roseville+14%2C+pictured+above%2C+is+one+of+many+theaters+within+Placer+County.

Natalie Demma

Century Roseville 14, pictured above, is one of many theaters within Placer County.

As places begin to open amidst coronavirus, it seems everyone is trying to get back to business as usual.

Movie theaters have been opening throughout these past few weeks, and theaters as close as Roseville are open on a daily basis. Yet, this still may not be safe.

Movie theaters have small spaces and close seats, which make it easy for the virus to spread even if you’re wearing a mask.

I think that movie theaters should not be reopened, as it can cause a threat to people with health concerns and contribute to an increase in coronavirus cases.  

It has been said repeatedly by health professionals that you can easily spread the virus to others. This is especially dangerous to those who are at a high risk, even if some people choose to ignore the possible consequences.  

Movie theaters are taking precautions against the virus, but it is not guaranteed that those precautions are certain to prevent the spread.

For example, some movie theaters are using a system where when you book a seat and the seat next to you is automatically blocked. Considering that movie theater seats are not six feet apart, this does not fully eliminate the concern of infection.  

Theaters are taking as many precautions as they can, from sanitizing every 30 minutes to staggering showtimes.  But it is still not guaranteed that people will follow all of the rules and wear their masks.  

Within Placer County, Olympus Pointe in Roseville is open and hosts about three movies a day.

Studio Movie Grill in Rocklin shows six movies a day, allowing double the capacity of Olympus Pointe.  

As of October 5th, there are about 3,000 cases in Placer County.  This is a cause for concern for visitors of movie theaters that are opening in the county.  

All things considered, I don’t believe that movie theaters should be open because of active cases of Covid-19. 

Opening theaters to the public could create an increase of cases which is inconvenient for many people.  

I strongly believe that as a community we have to work together and do everything that we can to prevent more people from getting the virus.  

There are plenty of online movie services that are a convenient way to watch your favorite movies and television shows. I believe that these are a great alternative to going to the movies and they keep everyone safe.

After all, our actions can have a greater impact on the amount of cases than most think.