Risky Business? More Options For Entertainment Open Friday
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — More businesses have the go-ahead to reopen this weekend, including gyms, movie theaters and bars. But experts say they're among some of the risker places a person can go amid the pandemic.
For many people, evenings just got a lot more exciting. Some are planning to hit the bar this weekend. Shannon Barnes-Arguijo at Club Raven says she's ready to open for business.
"We're so excited to be open," said Barnes-Arguijo. "We've all been waiting for this moment."
Club Raven has added several safety measures ahead of the reopening. They include spacing people out, encouraging sanitizing and sticking to hanging out with people in your own household.
"Customers can choose whether to come or not," Barnes-Arguijo said. "When they do we're going to do the best we can."
Some people like Wendy Wang, who lives in Sacrmento, are choosing to wait it out.
"I know for myself and for my friends, we're concerned about being in close environments where there's a lot of people," Wang said.
READ: Public Health Leaders Point To Family Gatherings As Root Of Sacramento Coronavirus Spike
UCLA infectious disease expert Dr. Jeffrey Klausner says while these businesses put you more at risk, they're likely still okay to frequent. Though, he says bars are at the top of the list of where infection can transmit easier.
"Talking loudly, singing, laughing," Dr. Klausner said. "That's more likely to occur in a bar setting."
For those who like it their entertainment quieter, Robert Alvis, the owner of the Crest Theatre in downtown Sacramento, plans to raise the curtain next week on June 19.
"There's nowhere that can be 100% safe," Alvis said. "We want to make sure we have all our safety things implemented and enough programming to be able to come in."
Though, Alvis said they're implementing all they can. Only a hundred people can be allowed in a theatre for movies. Guests will be spread out using every other row and giving aisle access.
It's an easy sell for folks like Teresa Harris.
"I would have gone the whole time to the movies, period," Harris said.
Staff at the Tower Theatre in Land Park say they're also holding out on reopening, but didn't give CBS13 a date to look out for. Big-name theater corporations likely won't reopen theaters until at least July.
