vox--2020-06-11--White Americans are finally talking about racism. Will it translate into action?

It ’ s not just the 100,000 people who protested in Los Angeles last weekend , or the estimated 200,000 who gathered in the nation ’ s capital , or the thousands more who took to the streets in small towns across the country to rally against racism and police violence in recent weeks .
It ’ s also the change in public opinion : 76 percent of Americans now say racial discrimination in the US is a big problem , up from 51 percent in 2015 .
And public support for the Black Lives Matter movement increased almost as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it did in the previous two years , according to the New York Times .
Some of this change is happening among black Americans and other people of color — for example , 84 percent of black Americans now say racism is a big problem compared with 69 percent in 2015 .
But perhaps the biggest shift , pollsters and others say , is among white people .
In small towns and across America , “ people of color already know that there ’ s a problem , ” Cynthia Willis-Esqueda , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lincoln who studies racial bias , told Vox .
“ They have been long aware of racial bias.
” But for some white people , the weeks since the police killing of George Floyd — captured in a video seen by millions around the country — and the worldwide uprisings that resulted have been eye-opening in a new way .
“ You don ’ t see inequality in schools , because we go to different schools ; you don ’ t see inequality in wealth , ” Candis Watts Smith , a professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Penn State University , told Vox .
“ But you can see a killing.
” Not only have white Americans watched this graphic killing , for now , at least , they ’ re paying attention to America ’ s larger systemic problems of racism and police brutality .
But the question remains whether that attention will be sustained and whether the white people who have become newly aware of police violence and discrimination in recent weeks will support the structural changes needed to fix them .
“ Historically speaking , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen trends where white Americans say that they support egalitarian principles , but they haven ’ t always followed with egalitarian policies.
” There ’ s been a huge shift in public opinion on racism and policing , especially among white people The uprisings of the past few weeks are part of a long history .
Thousands protested around the country in 2013 when a Florida court acquitted George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin , a black 17-year-old .
In 2014 , protests in Ferguson , Missouri , in response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black man , by white police officer Darren Wilson , led to greater national attention for the Black Lives Matter movement , as P.R .
Lockhart reported at Vox .
Those protests had a significant effect on the way people — including white people — talk about race and racism .
“ People have become more attuned to these issues ” since Ferguson , Smith said .
In the 2020 primary debates , for example , “ Democratic candidates had to say ‘ systemic racism , ’ and they had to say what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ They had to say something about questions of racial inequality in a way that they hadn ’ t been forced to in the past.
” Still , as of 2016 , just 34 percent of Americans said police were more likely to use excessive force if a suspect is black , according to a Monmouth University poll .
And as of January 2020 , 42 percent of Americans supported Black Lives Matter — a significant portion , to be sure , but still a minority .
Then the killing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , became national news , and public opinion changed dramatically and rapidly .
Now , 57 percent say police are more likely to use excessive force on black people .
And as of June 8 , 53 percent of Americans say they support Black Lives Matter , according to a Civiqs poll .
Tracking data also shows swift increases in disapproval of the police and belief that black people face a lot of discrimination , according to the New York Times .
The change is coming “ at a speed that I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before in American politics , ” said Dorian Warren , president of Community Change , a nonprofit that works with grassroots groups in low-income communities around the county .
And a lot of the shift is coming from white people .
Looking at changes in polling data over time , “ most black respondents in 2014 and now had pretty progressive views , ” Duncan Gans , an analyst at the polling firm PerryUndem , told Vox .
“ Most of the change was among white respondents.
” For example , in 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that police were more likely to use force on black people .
That jumped to 87 percent this year .
But among white Americans , the change was much greater , from just 25 percent in 2016 to 49 percent in 2020 .
It ’ s not just polling .
White people are also engaging in protests and other activism in ways they haven ’ t always in the past , many say .
Organizers on the ground are pleasantly surprised by the sustained outpouring of support from people of all races , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time asking how they can help , Warren said .
“ In some ways we ’ re seeing the vibrant renewal of civic engagement in our democracy.
” That includes many who have taken to the streets in small towns across America , where protests initially got less coverage than those in major cities , as Anne Helen Petersen notes at BuzzFeed .
Some of those towns are in parts of America “ where you can literally grow up your entire life and not see a single person of color , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to having a particular ideology system that would not necessarily reflect reality.
” But now , she said , “ I think what ’ s happening across the US is much like what happened with the Vietnam War , ” when Americans ’ attitudes were altered by watching coverage on TV .
“ It ’ s very powerful to see visual images of what ’ s happening.
” The George Floyd video may be one reason .
History is another .
Indeed , many link the swift change in public opinion , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ footage of George Floyd with officer Derek Chauvin ’ s knee on his neck .
The May 25 killing came as black Americans were already bearing the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic in many communities , becoming sick and dying at higher rates than white people .
But that inequality wasn ’ t starkly visual in the same way .
“ We can hear that black people disproportionately suffered from the disease of Covid , but we didn ’ t see those deaths , ” Smith said .
“ But when you see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that ’ s a different kind of thing.
” Supporters of police have tried to explain away past killings of black people , like Michael Brown , by arguing that they had threatened their killers or resisted arrest .
But the video of Floyd ’ s death made that harder than ever , Warren said .
“ You can ’ t argue with the facts that you ’ re seeing , or wish them away , or make up an alternative story , because it ’ s 8 minutes , 46 seconds.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the heels of years of organizing by Black Lives Matter activists , as well as movements like the Women ’ s March and , further back , Occupy Wall Street , Warren said .
It also came after the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor , young black Americans whose deaths also sparked outrage .
Activists have been drawing attention to issues of police violence and race , gender , and class inequality for years , and those issues have only grown more urgent in recent months .
“ One way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an earthquake , ” he explained .
Organizing by Black Lives Matter and other groups moves slowly , like tectonic plates : “ and then all of a sudden they collide.
” The question is , what now ?
Now that Black Lives Matter has white Americans ’ attention , many are asking what ’ s next .
It ’ s not clear whether people who say they support the movement in polls also back concrete policy changes to combat police violence and racial inequality .
For example , Smith asked , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or are more people supportive of shifting funds from police to social services ?
” Indeed , in one Yahoo/YouGov poll conducted as protests sparked by Floyd ’ s death grew in late May , majorities of Americans said that police do not treat white and black people equally and that police are not held accountable for misconduct .
But only 16 percent said they would support funding cuts to police departments .
That number was even lower — 12 percent — among white Americans , while 33 percent of black respondents said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some are concerned that those new to an awareness of police violence and systemic racism may be satisfied with smaller , incremental changes that don ’ t really get to the root of the problem .
For example , some have criticized 8 Can ’ t Wait , a slate of requirements including a ban on chokeholds aimed at reforming police departments and reducing violence .
While the plan may sound good , “ some of the more racist and violent police departments have already adopted many of these reforms , to essentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writes at Vice .
Those who support the larger goal of police abolition say “ we shouldn ’ t settle for reforms created years ago when their effectiveness is questionable at best , especially when those reforms do nothing to disrupt the political economy of policing or law enforcement , ” Ongweso writes .
Beyond policy changes around policing , there ’ s also the question of whether people will connect what they saw in the video of Floyd ’ s death to inequities across American society , not just in the criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curious to see if people connect the issues that they see in policing with other domains of American life , ” like education or health , Smith said .
After all , “ people are protesting with masks because they ’ re protesting during a pandemic , ” one that has killed a disproportionate number of black and Latinx Americans .
Smith questions whether Americans are going to be up for delving into those issues , or whether they will be satisfied with a few police reforms , like banning chokeholds or no-knock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but is the enthusiasm for equity in policing going to spill over to other domains ?
” Looking back at American history , “ it ’ s always my concern that people will give lip service to change and to being more ‘ tolerant , ’ ” Willis-Esqueda said .
However , the current moment does present an opportunity .
“ Psychologically , people are upset ; they ’ re motivated to take action , ” Willis-Esqueda said .
“ My hope is that we create some kind of meaningful change.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

The numbers are enormous.
It’s not just the 100,000 people who protested in Los Angeles last weekend, or the estimated 200,000 who gathered in the nation’s capital, or the thousands more who took to the streets in small towns across the country to rally against racism and police violence in recent weeks.
It’s also the change in public opinion: 76 percent of Americans now say racial discrimination in the US is a big problem, up from 51 percent in 2015. And public support for the Black Lives Matter movement increased almost as much in the past two weeks as it did in the previous two years, according to the New York Times.
Some of this change is happening among black Americans and other people of color — for example, 84 percent of black Americans now say racism is a big problem compared with 69 percent in 2015. But perhaps the biggest shift, pollsters and others say, is among white people.
In small towns and across America, “people of color already know that there’s a problem,” Cynthia Willis-Esqueda, a psychology professor at the University of Nebraska Lincoln who studies racial bias, told Vox. “They have been long aware of racial bias.”
But for some white people, the weeks since the police killing of George Floyd — captured in a video seen by millions around the country — and the worldwide uprisings that resulted have been eye-opening in a new way. “You don’t see inequality in schools, because we go to different schools; you don’t see inequality in wealth,” Candis Watts Smith, a professor of political science and African American studies at Penn State University, told Vox. “But you can see a killing.”
Not only have white Americans watched this graphic killing, for now, at least, they’re paying attention to America’s larger systemic problems of racism and police brutality.
But the question remains whether that attention will be sustained and whether the white people who have become newly aware of police violence and discrimination in recent weeks will support the structural changes needed to fix them. “Historically speaking,” Smith said, “we’ve seen trends where white Americans say that they support egalitarian principles, but they haven’t always followed with egalitarian policies.”
There’s been a huge shift in public opinion on racism and policing, especially among white people
The uprisings of the past few weeks are part of a long history. Thousands protested around the country in 2013 when a Florida court acquitted George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin, a black 17-year-old. In 2014, protests in Ferguson, Missouri, in response to the killing of Michael Brown, a black man, by white police officer Darren Wilson, led to greater national attention for the Black Lives Matter movement, as P.R. Lockhart reported at Vox.
Those protests had a significant effect on the way people — including white people — talk about race and racism. “People have become more attuned to these issues” since Ferguson, Smith said. In the 2020 primary debates, for example, “Democratic candidates had to say ‘systemic racism,’ and they had to say what they felt about reparations,” she said. “They had to say something about questions of racial inequality in a way that they hadn’t been forced to in the past.”
Still, as of 2016, just 34 percent of Americans said police were more likely to use excessive force if a suspect is black, according to a Monmouth University poll. And as of January 2020, 42 percent of Americans supported Black Lives Matter — a significant portion, to be sure, but still a minority.
Then the killing of George Floyd, and the subsequent protests, became national news, and public opinion changed dramatically and rapidly. Now, 57 percent say police are more likely to use excessive force on black people. And as of June 8, 53 percent of Americans say they support Black Lives Matter, according to a Civiqs poll. Tracking data also shows swift increases in disapproval of the police and belief that black people face a lot of discrimination, according to the New York Times.
The change is coming “at a speed that I don’t think we’ve seen before in American politics,” said Dorian Warren, president of Community Change, a nonprofit that works with grassroots groups in low-income communities around the county.
And a lot of the shift is coming from white people. Looking at changes in polling data over time, “most black respondents in 2014 and now had pretty progressive views,” Duncan Gans, an analyst at the polling firm PerryUndem, told Vox. “Most of the change was among white respondents.”
For example, in 2016, 77 percent of black Americans said that police were more likely to use force on black people. That jumped to 87 percent this year. But among white Americans, the change was much greater, from just 25 percent in 2016 to 49 percent in 2020.
It’s not just polling. White people are also engaging in protests and other activism in ways they haven’t always in the past, many say. Organizers on the ground are pleasantly surprised by the sustained outpouring of support from people of all races, including people getting in touch for the first time asking how they can help, Warren said. “In some ways we’re seeing the vibrant renewal of civic engagement in our democracy.”
That includes many who have taken to the streets in small towns across America, where protests initially got less coverage than those in major cities, as Anne Helen Petersen notes at BuzzFeed. Some of those towns are in parts of America “where you can literally grow up your entire life and not see a single person of color,” Willis-Esqueda said. “That lends itself to having a particular ideology system that would not necessarily reflect reality.”
But now, she said, “I think what’s happening across the US is much like what happened with the Vietnam War,” when Americans’ attitudes were altered by watching coverage on TV. “It’s very powerful to see visual images of what’s happening.”
The George Floyd video may be one reason. History is another.
Indeed, many link the swift change in public opinion, including among white Americans, to the video footage of George Floyd with officer Derek Chauvin’s knee on his neck. The May 25 killing came as black Americans were already bearing the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic in many communities, becoming sick and dying at higher rates than white people. But that inequality wasn’t starkly visual in the same way.
“We can hear that black people disproportionately suffered from the disease of Covid, but we didn’t see those deaths,” Smith said. “But when you see a man killed slowly in broad daylight, that’s a different kind of thing.”
Supporters of police have tried to explain away past killings of black people, like Michael Brown, by arguing that they had threatened their killers or resisted arrest. But the video of Floyd’s death made that harder than ever, Warren said. “You can’t argue with the facts that you’re seeing, or wish them away, or make up an alternative story, because it’s 8 minutes, 46 seconds.”
Moreover, the Floyd video came on the heels of years of organizing by Black Lives Matter activists, as well as movements like the Women’s March and, further back, Occupy Wall Street, Warren said. It also came after the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, young black Americans whose deaths also sparked outrage. Activists have been drawing attention to issues of police violence and race, gender, and class inequality for years, and those issues have only grown more urgent in recent months.
“One way to think about this metaphorically is like an earthquake,” he explained. Organizing by Black Lives Matter and other groups moves slowly, like tectonic plates: “and then all of a sudden they collide.”
The question is, what now?
Now that Black Lives Matter has white Americans’ attention, many are asking what’s next. It’s not clear whether people who say they support the movement in polls also back concrete policy changes to combat police violence and racial inequality. For example, Smith asked, “are more people supportive of reparations, or are more people supportive of shifting funds from police to social services?”
Indeed, in one Yahoo/YouGov poll conducted as protests sparked by Floyd’s death grew in late May, majorities of Americans said that police do not treat white and black people equally and that police are not held accountable for misconduct. But only 16 percent said they would support funding cuts to police departments. That number was even lower — 12 percent — among white Americans, while 33 percent of black respondents said they would support cuts.
Meanwhile, some are concerned that those new to an awareness of police violence and systemic racism may be satisfied with smaller, incremental changes that don’t really get to the root of the problem. For example, some have criticized 8 Can’t Wait, a slate of requirements including a ban on chokeholds aimed at reforming police departments and reducing violence. While the plan may sound good, “some of the more racist and violent police departments have already adopted many of these reforms, to essentially no effect,” Edward Ongweso Jr. writes at Vice.
Those who support the larger goal of police abolition say “we shouldn’t settle for reforms created years ago when their effectiveness is questionable at best, especially when those reforms do nothing to disrupt the political economy of policing or law enforcement,” Ongweso writes.
Beyond policy changes around policing, there’s also the question of whether people will connect what they saw in the video of Floyd’s death to inequities across American society, not just in the criminal justice system.
“I’m curious to see if people connect the issues that they see in policing with other domains of American life,” like education or health, Smith said. After all, “people are protesting with masks because they’re protesting during a pandemic,” one that has killed a disproportionate number of black and Latinx Americans. Smith questions whether Americans are going to be up for delving into those issues, or whether they will be satisfied with a few police reforms, like banning chokeholds or no-knock warrants. “These changes are important, but is the enthusiasm for equity in policing going to spill over to other domains?”
Looking back at American history, “it’s always my concern that people will give lip service to change and to being more ‘tolerant,’” Willis-Esqueda said. However, the current moment does present an opportunity.
“Psychologically, people are upset; they’re motivated to take action,” Willis-Esqueda said. “My hope is that we create some kind of meaningful change.”


vox--2020-06-11--A Utah meat plant is staying open even after 287 workers got coronavirus

A single meat plant has been linked to hundreds of Covid-19 cases in Utah .
Yet it remains open , and the company says it expects workers to keep showing up for shifts even though many protest that the conditions are unsafe .
It ’ s the latest example of a worrisome trend seen across the US during the pandemic : Meatpacking plants are coronavirus hot spots , where workers keep falling ill — and even dying — all in the name of satisfying America ’ s meat-supply obsession .
When the JBS beef plant in the city of Hyrum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on May 30 , 287 tested positive .
But instead of shutting down the plant to stop the outbreak , as some plants had done earlier in the pandemic , JBS told these employees to stay home but report back to work less than two weeks later , despite their Covid-19 diagnosis .
On Tuesday , some JBS employees staged a walkout from the Hyrum plant and protested in nearby Logan .
“ It ’ s not safe to work right now , ” one worker told the Salt Lake Tribune , asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Protesters said the plant should close for a few weeks and that employees who don ’ t go in due to safety concerns should be paid regardless of whether they are sick .
The employees , many of whom are immigrants , are not currently offered paid leave unless they ’ ve tested positive .
The Bear River Health Department , which oversees the area in which the plant is located , says it doesn ’ t have the authority to force a closure .
“ We do not have the ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive order , ” department spokesperson Josh Greer told the Tribune .
“ It ’ s under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
” He was referring to President Donald Trump ’ s executive order , signed on April 28 , which declared meat processing plants “ critical infrastructure ” that should stay open during the coronavirus crisis .
Invoking the Defense Production Act , Trump said that plant closures “ threaten the continued functioning of the national meat and poultry supply chain.
” The results of this order are being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site of a worrisome spike in coronavirus cases .
On May 28 , just before JBS tested its workers , the Bear River Health District had only 117 confirmed cases .
The number has since climbed to 837 .
Officials in Utah say some of the increase is likely due to the reopening of the economy , but they attribute much of it to spread from the plant ; the vast majority of the new cases are in the county where the plant is located .
Although the US Department of Agriculture has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hyrum , it ’ s showing no interest in doing that .
Instead , Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue issued a statement Tuesday , saying , “ I want to thank the patriotic and heroic meatpacking facility workers , the companies , and the local authorities for quickly getting their operations back up and running , and for providing a great meat selection once again to the millions of Americans who depend on them for food.
” But the JBS workers who protested that day said that if they are indeed patriotic and heroic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way .
“ We produce meat for everyone across the country .
We deserve to be valued , ” said Monique Ramos .
“ They are making it seem like money is more important than our lives.
” JBS spokesperson Nikki Richardson said the company does not want sick people coming to work .
She defended the fact that some workers who tested positive May 30 were asked to return to work on June 10 , saying that ’ s in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovered from COVID-19 illness , CDC recommends that isolation be maintained for at least 10 days after illness onset and at least 3 days ( 72 hours ) after recovery ” [ italics in the original ] .
“ Recovery ” means that the person isn ’ t exhibiting symptoms .
But some workers say they ’ ve been asked to keep working even when they are showing symptoms .
One woman told the Tribune that she was experiencing fever , headache , and chills in late May .
She informed her supervisor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her request was denied .
So she had no choice but to work her full shift , potentially infecting others in the process .
The outbreak coming out of the JBS plant is alarming because it show just how much harm can occur at a single meatpacking facility ; one-third of all Utah ’ s new cases are linked to this plant , according to one estimate .
It ’ s also alarming because it illustrates a larger trend : Since Trump ordered plants to stay open or reopen , infections have risen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than twice the national rate .
We already know these plants are coronavirus incubators , but because of federal policy , not much is being done to stop the spread .
More than 24,000 coronavirus cases have been linked to US meat plants Laborers in meat plants have to work shoulder-to-shoulder along processing lines , which makes social distancing all but impossible .
That ’ s a big part of why these facilities have become Covid-19 hot spots , even though some plants have implemented temperature checks and installed plastic barriers between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ note that the problem is much , much bigger than one meat plant .
As the Tribune explained : The problem is also much bigger than just JBS .
Plants belonging to Smithfield , Tyson , and other major companies have become hot spots across the US .
At least 24,000 workers have tested positive and at least 86 have died , according to the tally of cases tied to meatpacking facilities published by USA Today and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting .
That tracks with the count published by the Food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been forced to close due to high rates of infection .
At a Tyson plant in Waterloo , Iowa , more than 180 employees got sick .
At a Smithfield plant in Sioux Falls , South Dakota , it was more than 640 workers .
But the leaders of these giant companies , unhappy about shuttering plants , have pushed back .
In late April , the chair of Tyson took out full-page ads in the New York Times and the Washington Post claiming that “ the food supply chain is breaking.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ plant closures are “ pushing our country perilously close to the edge in terms of our meat supply.
” Experts objected that these claims are unfounded , noting that US meat producers are still exporting meat and the industry has a surplus of meat in frozen storage .
Nevertheless , just days later , Trump signed his executive order .
The companies seem emboldened .
Tyson , for example , is now reinstating an attendance policy that penalizes workers for missing shifts , despite new outbreaks at its Iowa plants .
Knowing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produced on the backs of laborers who are mistreated , Americans have to ask whether this is really a sacrifice worth making .
Sign up for the Future Perfect newsletter and we ’ ll send you a roundup of ideas and solutions for tackling the world ’ s biggest challenges — and how to get better at doing good .
Future Perfect is funded in part by individual contributions , grants , and sponsorships .
Learn more here .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider making a contribution to Vox today .

A single meat plant has been linked to hundreds of Covid-19 cases in Utah. Yet it remains open, and the company says it expects workers to keep showing up for shifts even though many protest that the conditions are unsafe.
It’s the latest example of a worrisome trend seen across the US during the pandemic: Meatpacking plants are coronavirus hot spots, where workers keep falling ill — and even dying — all in the name of satisfying America’s meat-supply obsession.
When the JBS beef plant in the city of Hyrum tested about 1,000 of its 1,400 workers on May 30, 287 tested positive. But instead of shutting down the plant to stop the outbreak, as some plants had done earlier in the pandemic, JBS told these employees to stay home but report back to work less than two weeks later, despite their Covid-19 diagnosis.
On Tuesday, some JBS employees staged a walkout from the Hyrum plant and protested in nearby Logan. “It’s not safe to work right now,” one worker told the Salt Lake Tribune, asking to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal. Protesters said the plant should close for a few weeks and that employees who don’t go in due to safety concerns should be paid regardless of whether they are sick.
The employees, many of whom are immigrants, are not currently offered paid leave unless they’ve tested positive.
The Bear River Health Department, which oversees the area in which the plant is located, says it doesn’t have the authority to force a closure.
“We do not have the ability to close them down because of that executive order,” department spokesperson Josh Greer told the Tribune. “It’s under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.”
He was referring to President Donald Trump’s executive order, signed on April 28, which declared meat processing plants “critical infrastructure” that should stay open during the coronavirus crisis. Invoking the Defense Production Act, Trump said that plant closures “threaten the continued functioning of the national meat and poultry supply chain.”
The results of this order are being seen across northern Utah, now the site of a worrisome spike in coronavirus cases. On May 28, just before JBS tested its workers, the Bear River Health District had only 117 confirmed cases. The number has since climbed to 837.
Officials in Utah say some of the increase is likely due to the reopening of the economy, but they attribute much of it to spread from the plant; the vast majority of the new cases are in the county where the plant is located.
Although the US Department of Agriculture has the authority to close the plant in Hyrum, it’s showing no interest in doing that. Instead, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue issued a statement Tuesday, saying, “I want to thank the patriotic and heroic meatpacking facility workers, the companies, and the local authorities for quickly getting their operations back up and running, and for providing a great meat selection once again to the millions of Americans who depend on them for food.”
But the JBS workers who protested that day said that if they are indeed patriotic and heroic, they ought to be treated that way. “We produce meat for everyone across the country. We deserve to be valued,” said Monique Ramos. “They are making it seem like money is more important than our lives.”
JBS spokesperson Nikki Richardson said the company does not want sick people coming to work. She defended the fact that some workers who tested positive May 30 were asked to return to work on June 10, saying that’s in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The guidelines say, “For persons recovered from COVID-19 illness, CDC recommends that isolation be maintained for at least 10 days after illness onset and at least 3 days (72 hours) after recovery” [italics in the original].
“Recovery” means that the person isn’t exhibiting symptoms. But some workers say they’ve been asked to keep working even when they are showing symptoms. One woman told the Tribune that she was experiencing fever, headache, and chills in late May. She informed her supervisor and asked to go home, but her request was denied. So she had no choice but to work her full shift, potentially infecting others in the process.
The outbreak coming out of the JBS plant is alarming because it show just how much harm can occur at a single meatpacking facility; one-third of all Utah’s new cases are linked to this plant, according to one estimate. It’s also alarming because it illustrates a larger trend: Since Trump ordered plants to stay open or reopen, infections have risen in counties near large meatpacking facilities at more than twice the national rate.
We already know these plants are coronavirus incubators, but because of federal policy, not much is being done to stop the spread.
More than 24,000 coronavirus cases have been linked to US meat plants
Laborers in meat plants have to work shoulder-to-shoulder along processing lines, which makes social distancing all but impossible. That’s a big part of why these facilities have become Covid-19 hot spots, even though some plants have implemented temperature checks and installed plastic barriers between workers.
It’s important to note that the problem is much, much bigger than one meat plant. As the Tribune explained:
JBS, based in Greeley, Colo., has had significant outbreaks at plants in Colorado, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas and Wisconsin, according to news outlets in each of those states. On May 27, Reuters reported a labor judge in Brazil ordered a JBS plant there to shut down until all the employees could be tested. The judge, the news agency reported, found more than 60 percent of all the infections in the municipality of São Miguel do Guaporé originated from that facility.
The problem is also much bigger than just JBS. Plants belonging to Smithfield, Tyson, and other major companies have become hot spots across the US.
At least 24,000 workers have tested positive and at least 86 have died, according to the tally of cases tied to meatpacking facilities published by USA Today and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting. That tracks with the count published by the Food and Environment Reporting Network.
Some plants have been forced to close due to high rates of infection. At a Tyson plant in Waterloo, Iowa, more than 180 employees got sick. At a Smithfield plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, it was more than 640 workers.
But the leaders of these giant companies, unhappy about shuttering plants, have pushed back. In late April, the chair of Tyson took out full-page ads in the New York Times and the Washington Post claiming that “the food supply chain is breaking.” And Smithfield’s CEO said plant closures are “pushing our country perilously close to the edge in terms of our meat supply.”
Experts objected that these claims are unfounded, noting that US meat producers are still exporting meat and the industry has a surplus of meat in frozen storage.
Nevertheless, just days later, Trump signed his executive order.
The companies seem emboldened. Tyson, for example, is now reinstating an attendance policy that penalizes workers for missing shifts, despite new outbreaks at its Iowa plants.
Knowing that the country’s meat is being produced on the backs of laborers who are mistreated, Americans have to ask whether this is really a sacrifice worth making.
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vox--2020-06-11--How the coronavirus outbreak is roiling the film and entertainment industries

The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic , which was first identified in China in December , has had sweeping effects in the public health , business , and travel sectors , among others .
And while the repercussions for the entertainment industry may seem to pale in comparison to the clear threat the virus poses to human life , the ripple effects do have implications for the people around the world who make a living producing and distributing movies , music , and more .
The immense and lucrative Chinese film industry was hit almost immediately as movie theaters across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hollywood soon began to feel the effects , too , and as time passes , the impact of the coronavirus on the global film and entertainment industries will certainly grow .
Consequences of the pandemic on these industries could range from lowered attendance at film festivals and disruptions in film distribution to delayed or canceled movie releases and concert dates to curtailed on-location film shoots .
Financial ramifications will likely be felt by studios , filmmakers , theater owners , and more for months or even years .
Here are the biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry in response to the pandemic .
Most recently , Coachella 2020 — already rescheduled from April to October — was canceled .
K-pop concerts canceled , including BTS shows : On February 28 , the hugely popular K-pop group BTS canceled a series of concerts in Seoul .
The shows were scheduled for April 11 and 12 and April 18 and 19 at Seoul ’ s Olympic Stadium .
The group ’ s management agency said the decision was made due to the impossibility of predicting the scale of the outbreak in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health and safety of the musicians themselves , workers , and concertgoers .
Two hundred thousand fans were expected to attend .
Days earlier , BTS had asked fans to avoid a series of TV appearances scheduled to promote their newest album , Map Of The Soul : 7 , which had originally been planned to include studio audiences .
The group also appealed to fans via a streamed press conference .
“ Health is always on our minds these days , and our messages of facing your inner self and loving yourself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re healthy , especially since it is very risky outside these days , ” one of the singers , Jimin , said .
” I hope you take care of yourself.
” The entire Korean entertainment sector has been affected by the outbreak , and K-pop has been hit particularly hard , with groups including GOT7 , Winner , Sechs Kies , ( G ) I-DLE , and others canceling scheduled tour dates .
Variety reported that box office revenue in South Korea was down 30 to 40 percent in January 2020 compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On March 6 , the city of Austin , Texas , declared a state of disaster , requiring the cancellation of public gatherings and events for the near future .
The most notable of those is the cancellation of South by Southwest , the annual music , film , TV , and technology festival that serves as a significant financial powerhouse for the city .
The announcement came after a week full of major companies — including Netflix , Apple , Amazon , WarnerMedia , Facebook , Twitter , TikTok , Mashable , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the well-attended event , canceling panels , premieres , and other appearances .
Days later , SXSW organizers announced that they had laid off one-third of the festival ’ s employees in what they called “ a necessary , but heartbreaking , step.
” Emerald City Comic Con delayed : The organizing body behind Emerald City Comic Con , the largest convention of its kind in Seattle , Washington , announced on March 6 that it will postpone the event until sometime this summer .
The event was scheduled to run from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did everything that we could to run the event as planned , but ultimately , we are following the guidance of the local public health officials indicating that conventions should now be postponed , ” convention organizers Reedpop said in a statement published on the Emerald City Comic Con website .
Cannes Film Festival delayed : The 2020 edition of the Cannes Film Festival , arguably the most prestigious film festival in the world , is still in question following an announcement from the festival ’ s organizers on March 19 that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June or early July , ” or another time .
( The festival had been slated to take place May 12 to 23 and draws thousands of industries and press from around the globe each year . )
The festival first issued a statement on February 28 after the first case of coronavirus in nearby Nice , France , was confirmed by the city ’ s mayor , saying that organizers were monitoring the situation but planned for the festival to go forward .
( Cannes is a seaside resort town located on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Nice . )
Coachella delayed , then canceled : Goldenvoice , the organizers of Coachella — one of the largest annual music festivals in the US — announced on March 10 that the festival would be postponed due to concerns about Covid-19 .
Another Goldenvoice festival , the country-music-oriented Stagecoach , was also delayed .
The Indio , California-based event was originally set to run for two weekends ( April 10-12 and April 17-19 ) , with the same talent lineup performing both weekends .
The postponement moved Coachella to October 9-11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed back from April to October 23-25 .
But on June 10 , both events were canceled by an order from the public health officer of Riverside County , California .
Electronics Entertainment Expo ( E3 ) canceled : The 2020 Electronic Entertainment Expo ( E3 ) — the single biggest trade show in the video game industry — has been canceled .
The Entertainment Software Association , which organizes the event , announced that it would not go forward with the annual event due to coronavirus fears in California , where E3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for June 9 to 11 .
The organization said it will contact exhibitors and attendees about receiving full refunds for passes , and that it is considering ways to “ coordinate an online experience ” in lieu of the in-person event .
It also maintains that E3 will return next year as planned .
The NBA suspended basketball games indefinitely : A player on the Utah Jazz tested positive for coronavirus on March 11 , leading NBA officials to call off that night ’ s Jazz game just before tip-off .
As a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement that it would suspend the basketball season “ until further notice.
” Prior to putting an early pause on the rest of the season , the NBA made other efforts to protect players and fans .
The league barred media from locker rooms , and publicly considered having teams play to empty arenas , before ultimately stopping play altogether .
2020 Tokyo Olympics delayed : On March 24 , following pressure from athletes and multiple nations ’ Olympic committees , the International Olympic Committee and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postponed , possibly until 2021 ; on March 30 , the dates were set for July 23-August 8 , 2021 .
San Diego Comic-Con 2020 canceled : On April 17 , the organizers of San Diego Comic-Con announced that the yearly fan convention will not go on as planned in 2020 .
The event will resume once again in July 2021 at the San Diego Convention Center .
The cancellation marks the first time in Comic-Con ’ s 50-year history that the event , the largest convention of its kind in the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bros. changes release plans : On April 20 , Warner Bros. announced changes to its slate .
The Batman , starring Robert Pattinson , shifted from a release date of June 25 , 2021 , to October 1 , 2021 .
The Many Saints of Newark , a prequel to The Sopranos , was delayed from September 25 , 2020 , to March 12 , 2021 .
King Richard , a biopic about Venus and Serena Williams ’ father starring Will Smith , shifted from November 25 , 2020 , to November 19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved from October 1 , 2021 to November 5 , 2021 .
Two DC titles also shifted dates : Shazam !
2 is delayed from April 1 , 2022 to November 4 , 2022 , and The Flash moved from July 1 , 2022 , to June 3 , 2022 .
So far , the studio ’ s release dates for Christopher Nolan ’ s Tenet ( July 17 , 2020 ) and Wonder Woman 1984 ( August 14 , 2020 ) remain unchanged .
( Wonder Woman 1984 previously shifted from June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the studio announced that the big-screen adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda ’ s In the Heights , originally set for June 26 , 2020 , would move to June 18 , 2021 , because of pandemic-related post-production delays .
Newest Pixar film delayed : On April 13 , Disney announced that Pixar ’ s latest release , Soul , would open on November 20 , 2020 .
The film was previously set to open on June 19 .
Disney makes sweeping changes to release calendar : On April 3 , Disney made huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dates for movies it had previously pulled without a date and moving others .
Mulan is now set to open on July 24 , 2020 , while Jungle Cruise , which had been set to release that day , moved to July 30 , 2021 .
An untitled Indiana Jones film moved from July 9 , 2021 , to July 29 , 2022 .
Changes in the MCU calendar set off a domino effect .
Black Widow is newly set for November 6 , 2020 , while the previous release on that date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2021 .
Originally , Doctor Strange 2 was set to release on that date ; it ’ s now set to open November 5 , 2021 , displacing Thor : Love and Thunder until February 28 , 2022 .
Black Panther 2 is still currently set for May 6 , 2022 , and Captain Marvel 2 moved from July 22 to July 8 , 2022 .
Disney also owns 20th Century Films and Searchlight Films , which had a number of changes .
The Ryan Reynolds film Free Guy moved from July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West Side Story is still set for December 18 and Ridley Scott ’ s The Last Duel for Christmas Day .
Wes Anderson ’ s newest film , The French Dispatch , moved from July 24 to October 16 , 2020 .
Artemis Fowl , which has seen its release date pushed several times already , will be released on Disney+ .
On May 12 , Disney announced that Hamilton , a filmed version of the hit Broadway musical , would premiere on Disney+ on July 3 , 2020 , 15 months earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 13 , Disney set The New Mutants release date for August 28 .
It was originally slated for April 3 .
A release date for The Woman in the Window ( originally slated for May 15 ) has not been set yet .
Sony delays nearly all its movies until 2021 : On March 30 , Sony announced that nearly all of its summer tentpole films would be delayed until late 2020 or early 2021 .
Delayed movies include Kevin Hart ’ s Fatherhood , Jared Leto ’ s Morbius , Ghostbusters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously delayed Peter Rabbit 2 : The Runaway .
The only film that appeared unaffected was the Spider-Man : Far From Home sequel , which is still set for theatrical release on July 16 , 2020 .
Wonder Woman 1984 and In the Heights releases delayed : On March 24 , Warner Bros. announced that it would delay the release of Wonder Woman 1984 from June 5 to August 14 .
The studio also pulled three films from its release schedule : In the Heights , an adaptation of the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; Scoob , a Scooby-Doo animated film originally scheduled for May 15 ; and Malignant , a thriller from Aquaman director James Wan that had originally been scheduled for August 14 .
( Malignant ’ s move is designed to make room for Wonder Woman 1984 ’ s release . )
NBCUniversal to release major films digitally : In an unprecedented move , NBCUniversal announced on March 16 that it would make some movies available digitally the same day they are released in movie theaters that remain open , including Trolls World Tour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on April 10 .
Movies currently in theatrical release will also be available on-demand , including The Hunt , The Invisible Man , and Emma .
Movies are available for a 48-hour rental period for $ 19.99 in the US and an equivalent price abroad .
Disney postpones major releases : On March 12 , Disney confirmed that three of its biggest releases of the year — Mulan ( scheduled for March 27 ) , The New Mutants ( scheduled for April 3 ) , and Antlers ( scheduled for April 17 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now set to open on July 24 , 2020 .
The Chinese and European premieres of Mulan had previously been delayed as well .
On March 17 , Disney announced the postponement of three more films : Black Widow ( originally set for May 1 ) , The Personal History of David Copperfield ( May 8 ) , and The Woman in the Window ( May 15 ) .
The delays followed movie theater shutdowns in multiple states as well as country-wide shutdowns of Regal and AMC theaters .
No Time to Die @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it would cancel the Chinese premiere and publicity tour planned for the new James Bond movie , No Time To Die , which was scheduled for April .
On March 4 , the studio announced that it had delayed the film ’ s release until late November , making the film the first major tentpole release to be delayed worldwide .
Sonic the Hedgehog : On February 24 , Paramount Pictures announced that it would delay the release of Sonic the Hedgehog in China , with a new release date to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 10 , Sony announced that it would push the global release of Peter Rabbit 2 : The Runaway from late March/early April to August .
A Quiet Place Part II : On March 12 , A Quiet Place Part II director John Krasinski announced via Twitter that the movie ’ s March 19 release date would be delayed .
“ One of the things I ’ m most proud of is that people have said our movie is one you have to see all together .
Well due to the ever-changing circumstances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world around us , now is clearly not the right time to do that , ” he wrote .
“ As insanely excited as we are for all of you to see this movie ...
I ’ m gon na wait to release the film till we CAN see it all together !
So here ’ s to our group movie date !
See you soon !
” Fast and Furious 9 : On March 12 , Universal Pictures announced that it would delay the release date of the ninth installment in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months , from May 22 to April 2 , 2021 .
Chinese movies scrapped theatrical release and premiere online : The biggest films of China ’ s year are usually scheduled to release during the Lunar New Year holiday , near the end of January , but mounting fears of the coronavirus and public reticence to be in crowded spaces caused distributors to voluntarily cancel or postpone several film releases .
Huanxi , distributor of the Chinese blockbuster Lost in Russia , announced on January 22 that the film would premiere online for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ stay safely at home and watch Lost in Russia with your mom.
” On January 31 , Enter the Fat Dragon became the second major Chinese film to premiere online , as theaters are closed by order of the government .
Film and TV productions halted , altered , or shut down Saturday Night Live aired remotely produced content : On April 9 , the producers of Saturday Night Live , which had been on hiatus since mid-March , announced that new , remotely produced material would air on NBC in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 11:30 p.m. on April 11 , including a “ Weekend Update ” segment .
The coronavirus has touched Saturday Night Live in at least two ways .
The show ’ s long-time music supervisor , Hal Willner , passed away on April 7 at the age of 64 ; he was not formally diagnosed with the virus but had consistent symptoms .
And Michael Che , one of the show ’ s co-head writers and co-anchor with Colin Jost of “ Weekend Update , ” announced via social media on April 6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus complications .
The show joined other late-night comedy shows , such as NBC ’ s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers , CBS ’ s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , ABC ’ s Jimmy Kimmel Live !
, Comedy Central ’ s The Daily Show , in creating comedy content remotely .
Eurovision canceled : On March 18 , the organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest announced via Twitter that the 2020 edition of the event was canceled .
The event had been planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Hundreds of shows have delayed or suspended production , including Apple ’ s The Morning Show and Little America ; Netflix shows including Russian Doll ; the CW ’ s Riverdale ; NBC shows including the Chicago dramas and The Kelly Clarkson Show ; CBS shows including the NCIS dramas , The Amazing Race , and Survivor ; and many more .
Saturday Night Live also announced on March 16 that it would suspend its next three shows , the first of which was scheduled for March 28 , with John Krasinski @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Quiet Place Part II , originally scheduled for release on March 19 , was also delayed . )
Late-night shows suspend production or tape without a studio audience : Originally , on March 11 , producers of shows including NBC ’ s The Tonight Show ( hosted by Jimmy Fallon ) and Late Night With Seth Meyers , CBS ’ s Late Show With Stephen Colbert , TBS ’ s Full Frontal with Samantha Bee , and Comedy Central ’ s Daily Show ( hosted by Trevor Noah ) all announced they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audience on March 16 .
A day later , NBC announced that The Tonight Show and Late Night would suspend production beginning the week of March 16 ; Stephen Colbert also announced that the Late Show would suspend production .
All three shows were already scheduled to go into hiatus on March 23 .
On March 13 , Jimmy Kimmel Live also suspended production .
Disney suspends live-action production : On March 13 , Disney announced that production on its live-action movies would suspend production .
Affected films include The Little Mermaid , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pan .
Earlier in the day , production on Marvel ’ s Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings had been suspended due to director Destin Daniel Cretton ’ s decision to self-isolate upon advice of a doctor .
( Marvel is owned by Disney . )
Jia Zhangke project delayed : At the Berlin Film Festival in February , famed Chinese director Jia Zhangke ( Ash Is Purest White , A Touch of Sin ) told Indiewire that production on his new film , which was slated to begin in April , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indiewire at the Berlin Film Festival , where his documentary Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue premiered .
But he said that before he left , he ’ d feared his flight to Berlin would be canceled , and that some of his collaborators chose not to make the trip .
Regarding his next film , he said : Mission : Impossible production paused : On February 26 , Paramount Pictures announced that it had halted a planned three-week shoot in Venice for the seventh installment in the Mission : Impossible franchise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caution for the safety and well-being of our cast and crew , and efforts of the local Venetian government to halt public gatherings in response to the threat of coronavirus , we are altering the production plan for our three-week shoot in Venice , the scheduled first leg of an extensive production for Mission : Impossible 7 , ” a Paramount spokesperson told the Hollywood Reporter .
“ During this hiatus we want to be mindful of the concerns of the crew and are allowing them to return home until production starts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and work alongside health and government officials as it evolves.
” Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune tape without a studio audience : Though Sony declined to comment , sources told the Hollywood Reporter on March 9 that scheduled tapings of the shows would go forward without a live studio audience .
The measure was taken partly as a precaution for the health of Jeopardy host Alex Trebek , who has stage 4 pancreatic cancer .
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson announce they ’ ve contracted the virus : One of Hollywood ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced that he and his wife Rita Wilson had contracted the coronavirus while shooting Baz Luhrmann ’ s untitled Elvis Presley film in Australia : In a message posted publicly on March 11 , Hanks was his typical upbeat self : All Disney parks shut down : On January 25 , Disney shut down its Shanghai Disneyland park over fears of the coronavirus .
The park is a major revenue generator , with 11.8 million guests in 2018 , 50 percent from outside the Shanghai region , and an estimated $ 1 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in operating profit .
A day after Shanghai Disneyland ’ s closure , Hong Kong Disneyland shut down .
Both Disney parks in Japan closed on February 29 and Disney announced on March 11 that they will remain closed through at least the end of April .
Late in the day on March 12 , Disneyland in California announced it would close the following day ; by that evening , the company announced that all of its parks would close , including those in Florida and Disneyland Paris ( where three staff had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North American movie theaters shut down or begin “ social distancing ” measures : On March 13 , a number of theaters and theater chains , including AMC Theatres , and the Canadian chain Cineplex , announced that they would be reducing the number of tickets sold to screenings by as much as 50 percent in order to enable patrons to sit further apart as part of “ social distancing ” measures .
On March 15 , theaters in New York and Los Angeles were shut down by order of their respective mayors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would shut down all of its 543 US theaters indefinitely ; later in the day , AMC followed suit .
New York City cultural sites closed : On March 12 , major cultural sites in New York City began to close , including the Metropolitan Museum of Art .
Other institutions canceled programming for the month of March , such as the New York Public Library and Carnegie Hall .
Within days , the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that it anticipated staying closed through July and laying off much of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Metropolitan Opera laid off all of its union employees , including musicians and chorus .
Broadway shows closed : On March 12 , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo announced that beginning at 5:00 pm , Broadway would be closed , part of a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people .
On April 8 , the Broadway League announced that theaters would remain closed through June , and probably longer .
West End closes : On March 16 , London ’ s West End shut down , following Prime Minister Boris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid public spaces .
The theaters , including the Royal Opera House , will stay closed indefinitely .
Italian cultural sites closed : In February , a number of major museums in Venice , Milan , Turin , and other northern Italian cities were closed as part of the government ’ s aggressive attempt to contain the virus , and annual Carnivale celebrations stopped early .
By early March , with the country under complete lockdown , cultural sites across Italy were closed , including the Colosseum and Pompeii .
Chinese movie theaters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reopen , then re-close : Hoping to contain the coronavirus outbreak , on January 23 the Chinese government temporarily shut down movie theaters throughout the country until further notice .
A total film production shutdown soon followed .
Loss of revenue over the Lunar New Year holiday in late January , during which movie theaters typically see an uptick in ticket sales , amounted to a staggering $ 1 billion , according to analysts .
By March 23 , about 500 cinemas had reopened in China , roughly 5 percent of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the outbreak .
Variety reported that box office earnings remained minimal .
But by March 27 , they were closed again .
Chinese cultural attractions closed : Other cultural attractions and institutions in China that have been closed to the public include Tiananmen Square ’ s National Museum of China , the Forbidden City , and a section of the Great Wall of China located near Beijing .
We will continue to update this article as the story develops .

The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, which was first identified in China in December, has had sweeping effects in the public health, business, and travel sectors, among others. And while the repercussions for the entertainment industry may seem to pale in comparison to the clear threat the virus poses to human life, the ripple effects do have implications for the people around the world who make a living producing and distributing movies, music, and more.
The immense and lucrative Chinese film industry was hit almost immediately as movie theaters across the country were closed and major releases were delayed. Hollywood soon began to feel the effects, too, and as time passes, the impacts of the coronavirus on the global film and entertainment industries continue to be vast.
Consequences of the pandemic on these industries could range from lowered attendance at film festivals and disruptions in film distribution to delayed or canceled movie releases and concert dates to curtailed on-location film shoots. Financial ramifications will likely be felt by studios, filmmakers, theater owners, and more for months or even years.
Here are the biggest and most significant developments in the entertainment industry in response to the pandemic. Most recently, Disney announced more delays to several of its biggest films slated for 2020, including West Side Story and Black Widow.
Major entertainment festival cancellations and postponements
K-pop concerts canceled, including BTS shows: On February 28, the hugely popular K-pop group BTS canceled a series of concerts in Seoul. The shows were scheduled for April 11 and 12 and April 18 and 19 at Seoul’s Olympic Stadium. The group’s management agency said the decision was made due to the impossibility of predicting the scale of the outbreak in South Korea come April and cited the health and safety of the musicians themselves, workers, and concertgoers. Two hundred thousand fans were expected to attend.
Days earlier, BTS had asked fans to avoid a series of TV appearances scheduled to promote their newest album, Map of the Soul: 7, which had originally been planned to include studio audiences. The group also appealed to fans via a streamed press conference. “Health is always on our minds these days, and our messages of facing your inner self and loving yourself are ultimately only possible when you’re healthy, especially since it is very risky outside these days,” one of the singers, Jimin, said. ”I hope you take care of yourself.”
The entire Korean entertainment sector has been affected by the outbreak, and K-pop has been hit particularly hard, with groups including GOT7, Winner, Sechs Kies, (G) I-DLE, and others canceling scheduled tour dates. Variety reported that box office revenue in South Korea was down 30 to 40 percent in January 2020 compared to previous years.
SXSW canceled: On March 6, the city of Austin, Texas, declared a state of disaster, requiring the cancellation of public gatherings and events for the near future. The most notable of those is the cancellation of South by Southwest, the annual music, film, TV, and technology festival that serves as a significant financial powerhouse for the city.
The announcement came after a week full of major companies — including Netflix, Apple, Amazon, WarnerMedia, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Mashable, Intel, and more — dropping out of the well-attended event, canceling panels, premieres, and other appearances. Days later, SXSW organizers announced that they had laid off one-third of the festival’s employees in what they called “a necessary, but heartbreaking, step.”
Emerald City Comic Con delayed: The organizing body behind Emerald City Comic Con, the largest convention of its kind in Seattle, Washington, announced on March 6 that it will postpone the event until sometime this summer. The event was scheduled to run from March 12 to 16.
“We did everything that we could to run the event as planned, but ultimately, we are following the guidance of the local public health officials indicating that conventions should now be postponed,” convention organizers Reedpop said in a statement published on the Emerald City Comic Con website.
Cannes Film Festival delayed: Initially, the 2020 edition of the Cannes Film Festival, arguably the most prestigious film festival in the world, was left in limbo following an announcement from the festival’s organizers on March 19 that the gathering could be delayed until “late June or early July,” or another time. (The festival had been slated to take place May 12 to 23 and draws thousands of industries and press from around the globe each year.) The festival first issued a statement on February 28 after the first case of coronavirus in nearby Nice, France, was confirmed by the city’s mayor, saying that organizers were monitoring the situation but planned for the festival to go forward. (Cannes is a seaside resort town located on the French Riviera, about 30 km from Nice.)
By late spring, the organizers announced that the 2020 edition would be canceled. All films that would have played in the official and sidebar programs at the festival will bear the official Cannes seal when released in theaters or potentially at partner festivals in the fall, such as those that take place in Venice and Toronto. They announced these selections on June 3.
Coachella delayed, then canceled: Goldenvoice, the organizers of Coachella — one of the largest annual music festivals in the US — announced on March 10 that the festival would be postponed due to concerns about Covid-19. Another Goldenvoice festival, the country-music-oriented Stagecoach, was also delayed.
The Indio, California-based event was originally set to run for two weekends (April 10-12 and April 17-19), with the same talent lineup performing both weekends. The postponement moved Coachella to October 9-11 and October 16-18; Stagecoach 2020 was pushed back from April to October 23-25.
But on June 10, both events were canceled by an order from the public health officer of Riverside County, California.
Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) canceled: The 2020 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) — the single biggest trade show in the video game industry — has been canceled. The Entertainment Software Association, which organizes the event, announced that it would not go forward with the annual event due to coronavirus fears in California, where E3 takes place. The event was scheduled for June 9 to 11.
The organization said it will contact exhibitors and attendees about receiving full refunds for passes, and that it is considering ways to “coordinate an online experience” in lieu of the in-person event. It also maintains that E3 will return next year as planned.
The NBA suspended basketball games: A player on the Utah Jazz tested positive for coronavirus on March 11, leading NBA officials to call off that night’s Jazz game just before tip-off. As a further precautionary measure, the league issued a statement that it would suspend the basketball season “until further notice.”
Prior to putting an early pause on the rest of the season, the NBA made other efforts to protect players and fans. The league barred media from locker rooms and publicly considered having teams play to empty arenas before ultimately stopping play altogether.
Games resumed on July 30.
2020 Tokyo Olympics delayed: On March 24, following pressure from athletes and multiple nations’ Olympic committees, the International Olympic Committee and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe announced that the 2020 Summer Olympics would be postponed, possibly until 2021; on March 30, the dates were set for July 23-August 8, 2021.
San Diego Comic-Con 2020 canceled: On April 17, the organizers of San Diego Comic-Con announced that the yearly fan convention will not go on as planned in 2020. The event will resume once again in July 2021 at the San Diego Convention Center. The cancellation marks the first time in Comic-Con’s 50-year history that the event, the largest convention of its kind in the US, will not take place.
Major film release dates postponed or canceled
Warner Bros. changes release plans: On April 20, Warner Bros. announced changes to its slate. The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson, shifted from a release date of June 25, 2021, to October 1, 2021. The Many Saints of Newark, a prequel to The Sopranos, was delayed from September 25, 2020, to March 12, 2021. King Richard, a biopic about Venus and Serena Williams’ father starring Will Smith, shifted from November 25, 2020, to November 19, 2021. An untitled Elvis movie moved from October 1, 2021 to November 5, 2021.
Two DC titles also shifted dates: Shazam! 2 is delayed from April 1, 2022 to November 4, 2022, and The Flash moved from July 1, 2022, to June 3, 2022.
On April 21, the studio announced that the big-screen adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights, originally set for June 26, 2020, would move to June 18, 2021, because of pandemic-related post-production delays. Malignant, a thriller from Aquaman director James Wan that had originally been scheduled for August 14 was pulled from the release schedule.
On June 12, the studio announced that Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, previously slated for release on July 17, would move to July 31. Wonder Woman 1984, which was set for August 14, moved to October 2. (Wonder Woman 1984 previously shifted from June to August.)
On July 20, with case numbers rising around the US and most theaters remaining closed, Warner Bros. announced that Tenet’s release would be delayed indefinitely. A week later, the studio announced that the film would be released on a staggered schedule: on August 26 in 70 international territories and then in select US theaters beginning September 3.
On September 11, the studio announced that it had delayed Wonder Woman 1984 again, reportedly until Christmas.
Related Wonder Woman 1984 has been postponed until August 14
Newest Pixar film delayed: On April 13, Disney announced that Pixar’s latest release, Soul, would open on November 20, 2020. The film was previously set to open on June 19.
Disney makes sweeping changes to release calendar: On April 3, Disney made huge changes to its release calendar, setting dates for movies it had previously pulled without a date and moving others. Mulan was set to open on July 24, 2020, while Jungle Cruise, which had been set to release that day, moved to July 30, 2021. An untitled Indiana Jones film moved from July 9, 2021, to July 29, 2022.
Changes in the MCU calendar also set off a domino effect. Black Widow was newly set for November 6, 2020, while the previous release on that date, Shang-Chi, shifted to May 7, 2021. Originally, Doctor Strange 2 was set to release on that date; it’s now set to open November 5, 2021, displacing Thor: Love and Thunder until February 28, 2022. Black Panther 2 is still currently set for May 6, 2022, and Captain Marvel 2 moved from July 22 to July 8, 2022.
Disney also owns 20th Century Films and Searchlight Films, which had a number of changes. The Ryan Reynolds film Free Guy moved from July 3 to December 11, 2020. West Side Story is still set for December 18 and Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel for Christmas Day.
On July 23, however, Disney announced a series of sweeping scheduling changes once again. Mulan was pulled off the release calendar, indefinitely delaying its debut. Disney also took Wes Anderson’s newest film, The French Dispatch, off the calendar indefinitely, after it had initially moved from July 24 to October 16, 2020. Disney moved its upcoming trio of Star Wars movies forward by one year; they’re now slated to release in 2023, 2025, and 2027. And James Cameron’s Avatar sequels were moved back by a year as well, with the first set to premiere in December 2022.
The August 28 date for Disney’s The New Mutants remains August 28, for now; it was originally slated for April 3. And a release date for The Woman in the Window (originally slated for May 15) has not been set yet.
On August 4, Disney announced that Mulan would be released on its Disney+ streaming service. Subscribers will pay an additional $29.99 to rent the movie, available September 4. In territories where Disney+ is not available, Mulan will open in theaters that same day. (Notably, Disney+ is not available in China.)
On September 23, Disney announced more sweeping changes to its release schedule. Black Widow, originally set for November 6, is now slated to open on May 7, 2021. That delay shifted release dates for several other movies in the MCU, including Eternals (from February 12, 2021, to November 5, 2021) and Shang-Chi (from May 7, 2021, to July 9, 2021).
West Side Story, which had been set to release in the prime awards-season slot of December 18, 2020, will now open a full year later on December 10, 2021. The King’s Man — which had initially been set to open in September 2020, then delayed into 2021 — now has a release date of February 16, 2021. And Deep Water, starring Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, moved from November 13, 2020, to August 13, 2021.
A number of Disney’s films — among them Soul, the latest from Pixar — are still set for 2020 release. Soul has retained its November 20 date, at least for now. Death on the Nile shifted from October 23 to December 18. And the horror film The Empty Man is now set to open on October 23 rather than December 4.
Sony delays nearly all its movies until 2021: On March 30, Sony announced that nearly all of its summer tentpole films would be delayed until late 2020 or early 2021. Delayed movies include Kevin Hart’s Fatherhood, Jared Leto’s Morbius, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Uncharted, and the previously delayed Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway. The only film that appeared unaffected was the Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel, which is still set for theatrical release on July 16, 2020.
NBCUniversal to release major films digitally: In an unprecedented move, NBCUniversal announced on March 16 that it would make some movies available digitally the same day they are released in movie theaters that remain open, including Trolls World Tour, which is set to hit theaters on April 10. Movies currently in theatrical release will also be available on-demand, including The Hunt, The Invisible Man, and Emma. Movies are available for a 48-hour rental period for $19.99 in the US and an equivalent price abroad.
No Time to Die: On February 16, MGM announced that it would cancel the Chinese premiere and publicity tour planned for the new James Bond movie, No Time To Die, which was scheduled for April. On March 4, the studio announced that it had delayed the film’s release until November 25, making the film the first major tentpole release to be delayed worldwide. The film’s release date moved again on June 12, from November 25 to November 20.
Paramount changes release dates: On March 12, John Krasinski, director of Paramount’s A Quiet Place Part II, announced via Twitter that the movie’s March 19 release date would be delayed. “One of the things I’m most proud of is that people have said our movie is one you have to see all together. Well due to the ever-changing circumstances of what’s going on in the world around us, now is clearly not the right time to do that,” he wrote. “As insanely excited as we are for all of you to see this movie ... I’m gonna wait to release the film till we CAN see it all together! So here’s to our group movie date! See you soon!”
On July 23, Paramount announced that the Quiet Place sequel would be pushed to April 23, 2021. Top Gun Maverick was also delayed from December 23, 2020 to July 2, 2021. And that bumped Jackass, previously scheduled for July 2, 2021, to September 3, 2021.
Fast and Furious 9: On March 12, Universal Pictures announced that it would delay the release date of the ninth installment in the Fast and Furious franchise by 11 months, from May 22 to April 2, 2021.
Chinese movies scrapped theatrical release and premiere online: The biggest films of China’s year are usually scheduled to release during the Lunar New Year holiday, near the end of January, but mounting fears of the coronavirus and public reticence to be in crowded spaces caused distributors to voluntarily cancel or postpone several film releases. Huanxi, distributor of the Chinese blockbuster Lost in Russia, announced on January 22 that the film would premiere online for free. Promotional materials encouraged audiences to “stay safely at home and watch Lost in Russia with your mom.” On January 31, Enter the Fat Dragon became the second major Chinese film to premiere online, as theaters are closed by order of the government.
Film and TV productions halted, altered, or shut down
Saturday Night Live aired remotely produced content: On April 9, the producers of Saturday Night Live, which had been on hiatus since mid-March, announced that new, remotely produced material would air on NBC in the show’s usual Saturday night slot, 11:30 pm on April 11, including a “Weekend Update” segment.
The coronavirus has touched Saturday Night Live in at least two ways. The show’s long-time music supervisor, Hal Willner, passed away on April 7 at the age of 64; he was not formally diagnosed with the virus but had consistent symptoms. And Michael Che, one of the show’s co-head writers and co-anchor with Colin Jost of “Weekend Update,” announced via social media on April 6 that his grandmother had passed away from coronavirus complications.
The show joined other late-night comedy shows, such as NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers, CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, in creating comedy content remotely.
Eurovision canceled: On March 18, the organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest announced via Twitter that the 2020 edition of the event was canceled. The event had been planned for May.
TV shows suspend production: Hundreds of shows have delayed or suspended production, including Apple’s The Morning Show and Little America; Netflix shows including Russian Doll; the CW’s Riverdale; NBC shows including the Chicago dramas and The Kelly Clarkson Show; CBS shows including the NCIS dramas, The Amazing Race, and Survivor; and many more.
Late-night shows suspend production or tape without a studio audience: Originally, on March 11, producers of shows including NBC’s The Tonight Show (hosted by Jimmy Fallon) and Late Night With Seth Meyers, CBS’s Late Show With Stephen Colbert, TBS’s Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and Comedy Central’s Daily Show (hosted by Trevor Noah) all announced they would begin taping without a live studio audience on March 16.
A day later, NBC announced that The Tonight Show and Late Night would suspend production beginning the week of March 16; Stephen Colbert also announced that the Late Show would suspend production. All three shows were already scheduled to go into hiatus on March 23. On March 13, Jimmy Kimmel Live also suspended production. Most shows eventually began producing remotely, often with hosts and guests working from home studios.
Disney suspends live-action production: On March 13, Disney announced that production on its live-action movies would suspend production. Affected films include The Little Mermaid, a Home Alone reboot, and Peter Pan. Earlier in the day, production on Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings had been suspended due to director Destin Daniel Cretton’s decision to self-isolate upon advice of a doctor. (Marvel is owned by Disney.)
Jia Zhangke project delayed: At the Berlin Film Festival in February, famed Chinese director Jia Zhangke (Ash Is Purest White, A Touch of Sin) told Indiewire that production on his new film, which was slated to begin in April, was delayed indefinitely. Jia spoke with Indiewire at the Berlin Film Festival, where his documentary Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue premiered. But he said that before he left, he’d feared his flight to Berlin would be canceled, and that some of his collaborators chose not to make the trip. Regarding his next film, he said:
For some film companies and studios involved in pre-production, a lot of costs are going down the drain, and those that already started production have to be somehow cut short or suspended. Some of them are already in the process of distributing films and they’ve paid for a lot of promotion and PR costs. The economy is now taking a huge hit, and I think the investment side will be hugely impacted as well.
Mission: Impossible production paused: On February 26, Paramount Pictures announced that it had halted a planned three-week shoot in Venice for the seventh installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise. “Out of an abundance of caution for the safety and well-being of our cast and crew, and efforts of the local Venetian government to halt public gatherings in response to the threat of coronavirus, we are altering the production plan for our three-week shoot in Venice, the scheduled first leg of an extensive production for Mission: Impossible 7,” a Paramount spokesperson told the Hollywood Reporter. “During this hiatus we want to be mindful of the concerns of the crew and are allowing them to return home until production starts. We will continue to monitor this situation, and work alongside health and government officials as it evolves.”
Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune tape without a studio audience: Though Sony declined to comment, sources told the Hollywood Reporter on March 9 that scheduled tapings of the shows would go forward without a live studio audience. The measure was taken partly as a precaution for the health of Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, who has stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson announce they’ve contracted the virus: One of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Tom Hanks, announced that he and his wife Rita Wilson had contracted the coronavirus while shooting Baz Luhrmann’s untitled Elvis Presley film in Australia:
In a message posted publicly on March 11, Hanks was his typical upbeat self:
Well, now. What to do next? The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed. We Hanks’ will be tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no? We’ll keep the world posted and updated. Take care of yourselves!
Entertainment venues and attractions shut down
All Disney parks shut down: On January 25, Disney shut down its Shanghai Disneyland park over fears of the coronavirus. The park is a major revenue generator, with 11.8 million guests in 2018, 50 percent from outside the Shanghai region, and an estimated $1 billion in annual revenue and $50 million in operating profit. A day after Shanghai Disneyland’s closure, Hong Kong Disneyland shut down. Both Disney parks in Japan closed on February 29 and Disney announced on March 11 that they will remain closed through at least the end of April.
Late in the day on March 12, Disneyland in California announced it would close the following day; by that evening, the company announced that all of its parks would close, including those in Florida and Disneyland Paris (where three staff had previously tested positive for coronavirus).
In July, Disney World reopened amid a spike in Florida coronavirus cases.
North American movie theaters shut down: On March 13, a number of theaters and theater chains, including AMC Theatres, and the Canadian chain Cineplex, announced that they would be reducing the number of tickets sold to screenings by as much as 50 percent in order to enable patrons to sit further apart as part of “social distancing” measures.
On March 15, theaters in New York and Los Angeles were shut down by order of their respective mayors. On March 16, Regal announced it would shut down all of its 543 US theaters indefinitely; later in the day, AMC followed suit.
New York City cultural sites closed: On March 12, major cultural sites in New York City began to close, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Other institutions canceled programming for the month of March, such as the New York Public Library and Carnegie Hall.
Within days, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that it anticipated staying closed through July and laying off much of its staff. On March 19, the Metropolitan Opera laid off all of its union employees, including musicians and chorus.
Broadway shows closed: On March 12, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that beginning at 5:00 pm, Broadway would be closed, part of a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people. On April 8, the Broadway League announced that theaters would remain closed through June, and probably longer. On June 29, the League extended the shutdown through January 3, 2021.
West End closes: On March 16, London’s West End shut down, following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s speech urging Britons to avoid public spaces. The theaters, including the Royal Opera House, will stay closed indefinitely. As of June, the West End closures remained in effect through at least August 2.
Italian cultural sites closed: In February, a number of major museums in Venice, Milan, Turin, and other northern Italian cities were closed as part of the government’s aggressive attempt to contain the virus, and annual Carnivale celebrations stopped early. By early March, with the country under complete lockdown, cultural sites across Italy were closed, including the Colosseum and Pompeii.
Chinese movie theaters shut down for months, tentatively begin to reopen, then re-close: Hoping to contain the coronavirus outbreak, on January 23 the Chinese government temporarily shut down movie theaters throughout the country until further notice. A total film production shutdown soon followed. Loss of revenue over the Lunar New Year holiday in late January, during which movie theaters typically see an uptick in ticket sales, amounted to a staggering $1 billion, according to analysts.
By March 23, about 500 cinemas had reopened in China, roughly 5 percent of the cinemas in the country that were open before the outbreak. Variety reported that box office earnings remained minimal. But by March 27, they were closed again. Some Chinese movie theaters began to open in late July.
We will continue to update this article as the story develops.