Dear UK Government: we need mask mandates and a health pass. Now.

An open letter to Nadine Dorries, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Dear Madam Secretary

It’s been well aired that, as you take on one of the most wide-ranging briefs in UK government, the Media part of “Culture, Media and Sport” is likely to be foremost in your mind. But I strongly suggest that you turn your focus to the Culture area and take urgent action, particularly as regards live performance. Let me remind you that as far back as 2016, the performing arts industry was estimated to be worth £23 billion of Gross Value Added to the UK economy – that’s bigger than the automotive industry and bigger than farming. It’s not an industry that the government can afford to imperil.

The whole arts industry depends on a vibrant scene of artists performing live in front of enraptured audiences – whether in the concert halls and opera houses that our publication covers or the thousands of venues across the country, from the smallest folk or comedy clubs to West End and regional theatres to circus tents and outdoor rock festivals. If live music, comedy, circus and theatre go to the wall, the whole industry – recording and TV production included – will wither and eventually die.

Right now, the burning need isn’t for money, it’s for safety.

Live performance is staggering to its feet as it tentatively welcomes its first audiences since the lifting of regulations: one more punch to the head would knock it out. Of course, it fears the blow of another episode of lockdown and widespread event cancellations, but there’s another terror that keeps it awake at night: that audiences won’t return because they are not confident of attending an event without risking Covid-19 infection.

The UK government must now take two major steps to address both those risks: mandate that people attending large-scale events must show proof either of Covid vaccination status or of a recent test or natural immunity, and mandate that they wear masks unless there is a strong medical reason not to do so.

My colleague Mark Pullinger has written persuasively about half-full houses with audiences unchecked and largely unmasked. He has talked extensively to industry figures and it’s clear that unless given a mandate from government, venues and promoters will not impose rules themselves. It’s also clear that without those rules, a significant number of audience members will not wear masks and that as a result, a far greater number of people will stay away. There are other countries where the situation is very different: where masks and vaccination/test status are enforced, audiences are returning in large numbers and with confidence.

I am well aware of the many people, not least within your party’s ranks, who consider that any government mandate over mask-wearing or “a vaccine passport” is an affront to their liberty. To them, I would say this: being permitted to pursue one’s own pleasures without concern about their effect on others isn’t liberty, it’s selfishness. You are not free to drive through a red light because it endangers other road users. You are absolutely free to refuse a Covid-19 vaccine, but you should not then be free to expose others to the potentially Coronavirus-filled droplets in your breath – if that’s the way you feel, stay away from theatres and concert halls. And if you’re too selfish to do this of your own accord, expect your government to enforce it for you. For those unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons, I would ask the government to provide a robust, verifiable, free testing regime to enable them to attend events without endangering others.

I should note that I’m making no comment here about night clubs and hospitality venues. Their situation is different and demands separate analysis.

Whatever level of value you place on the performing arts as a benefit in themselves, the United Kingdom cannot afford the economic hit of their demise. Whether it’s the sudden death of another lockdown or the death by a thousand cuts of timorous audience members staying away, the performing arts cannot afford your inaction. We need mask mandates and a health pass. Now.

Yours sincerely

David Karlin
Bachtrack Ltd

David Karlin, Monday 04 October 2021 09:42

Dear Johannes

Although we disagree profoundly, thank you for the respectful way in which you have phrased your comments. Too much of the debate has been angry and hot-headed.

I would like to clarify a couple of points.

Firstly, I would certainly expect any such measure to be temporary. There is certainly a need for debate as to what is an "acceptable" (if that's the right word) level of an epidemic below which draconian public health measures cease to be appropriate. Clearly, if the death/serious illness rate fell below the kind of levels that we've been used to with seasonal flu, we shouldn't be continuing special measures which damage freedoms.

Secondly, I agree 100% that the industry needs "to seriously look at the 'becoming grey' of the audiences, and try to make concerts more engaging". That needs to happen anyway, regardless of any public health measures. I went yesterday to a shining example of this – Pekka Kuusisto at the Purcell Room – but such engaging concerts which appeal to young people are all too rare.

Like you, I have massive distrust of our political leadership. But as someone who has benefited greatly from the medical establishment over many years, I can't share your view of them as fundamentally untrustworthy. And such research as I have seen indicates that this isn't a simple "old vs young" question: there are plenty of young people who trust the NHS and plenty of older people who don't trust vaccines.

And I can't agree with you describing my arguments as "unethical", unless you consider the concept of public health measure as such to be unethical. Wrong-headed, or poor judgment, perhaps.

Regards

David

Johannes, Monday 04 October 2021 07:46

*correction: paragraph 4. Political life = Cultural life / Society

Dear David Karlin,

I enjoy your website. I am a classical music fan like you. However, I am truly disgusted by this illiberal piece. I knew I would disagree coming in, but I wanted to read it anyway, to see the train of thought of those who are for this authoritarian and discriminatory practice where the government forbids people skeptical of this vaccine from enjoying many of the finest pleasures of life.

The essence of your argument seemed to be a comparison between driving through a red light and being unvaccinated. This is a very weak basis. I also thought your story about the recording industry being untenable without the live performance industry is not an argument founded on a strong logical basis. I think when live music is absent, the recording industry benefits.

We both want the classical music sector to thrive, or at least to shrink as little as possible in the post-pandemic audience. But I think the sector needs to broaden its appeal, particularly to young people, and also to immigrants and those groups of people who are also skeptical of the vaccine.

If classical audiences remain unduly afraid of a disease with an Infection Mortality Rate of well below 1%, then perhaps we ought to seriously look at the "becoming grey" of the audiences, and try to make concerts more engaging - this is what I think is needed to boost the sector. Not costly, prohibitive and I really believe discriminatory measures aimed at audience retention. Mind you, a lot of the people who do not trust the vaccine are people who do not trust the government or medical establishment. I consider it very heartless to simply exclude them from political life. I think if this kind of heartlessness is shown across the board, we won't have much of a civil society left.

Let me add that I am a young twenty year old unvaccinated classical pianist; who has refused to take the vaccine based on very negative experience with unmentioned side-effects of medicines in the past, concerns about the deterioration of the climate and our education sector (look at recent budget cuts), and many other issues that make it completely wrong to try to extend the lives of baby-boomers at the cost of young & healthy people. If many people held your point of view, and if - god forbid - you convince people, then I am royally screwed. There is no way I will take the vaccine (antibody dependent enhancement, giving surveillance QR capacity to the gvmt), for many reasons some of which are personal.

Your proposal is wholly unethical in my view. Especially since you do not mention that you want it to be temporary, or give any regard to the pain this will cause for many classical music lovers and freedom lovers.

Kind regards,
Johannes