vox--2020-08-04--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 , Disney announced that its live-action Mulan film would be released for an additional rental fee on Disney+ , and Warner Bros. announced a staggered release schedule for Christopher Nolan ’ s Tenet .
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 ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 that the 2020 Summer Olympics would be postponed , possibly until 2021 ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
Warner Bros. changes release plans : On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 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 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 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 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Malignant , a thriller from Aquaman director James Wan that had originally been scheduled for August 14 was pulled from the release schedule .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 . )
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 !
” 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 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 : Mission : Impossible production paused : On February 26 , Paramount Pictures announced that it had halted a planned three-week shoot in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 : 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where three staff had previously tested positive for coronavirus ) .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
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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.


vox--2020-08-04--Walmart has again delayed the launch of its Amazon Prime competitor Walmart+

Amazon may have a 15-year head start , but Walmart is close to finally unveiling its own membership program that it hopes will eventually become an alternative to Amazon Prime .
Walmart had planned to launch a new subscription service in July called Walmart+ that will cost $ 98 a year .
It will include perks like same-day delivery of groceries and general merchandise , discounts on fuel at Walmart gas stations , and early access to product deals , multiple sources told Recode .
But Walmart has once again delayed the launch of Walmart+ , Recode has learned .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a new internal launch date and whether the program will launch nationally or first on a regional level when the company finally unveils it .
Walmart originally planned to launch Walmart+ in late March or April , Recode reported in February , but the retailer first pushed back the date to July after the Covid-19 pandemic began sweeping across the US in March .
A Walmart spokesperson declined to comment on the Walmart+ launch .
While Covid-19 panic-buying helped boost Walmart sales to record highs earlier this year , its US e-commerce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the size of Amazon ’ s .
Today , Amazon is valued at $ 1.56 trillion , while Walmart is worth $ 372 billion .
And Amazon Prime is a big reason why .
Launched in 2005 , Amazon Prime has become a loyalty program that now boasts more than 150 million members globally and sports a portfolio of perks , including express delivery of groceries and other items , access to a large catalog of TV shows and movies , as well as exclusive discounts at Whole Foods stores .
Amazon Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the US , shop more frequently and spend more on Amazon than non-Prime members do .
They also do price comparisons less across competitor sites .
Perhaps most problematic for Walmart is the fact that more than half of its top-spending families now have Amazon Prime memberships , Recode previously reported .
It ’ s a trend that has been several years in the making , as Amazon has made moves for Prime to appeal to households with less disposable income that historically have favored shopping at Walmart .
Amazon added a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a 45 percent Prime fee discount for those on government assistance in 2017 , and ways for Prime customers to pay for orders with cash last year .
While Walmart ’ s overall grocery business is larger than Amazon ’ s , one fear at the Bentonville , Arkansas , retailer is that top Walmart customers could eventually turn to Amazon for groceries as well , as they get sucked further into the Prime suite of perks .
When Walmart+ launches , the $ 98 annual membership is expected to include unlimited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Walmart Supercenters , reserved delivery slots and open-slot notifications , as well as some access to Walmart ’ s new Express two-hour delivery offering , though not unlimited usage .
During the pandemic , customers have run into issues securing grocery delivery slots in some parts of the country as companies like Walmart and Amazon struggled to handle drastic increases in demand for online grocery services .
Walmart+ perks are also expected to include discounts on fuel at Walmart gas stations , early access to some product deals , and a Scan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to check out in Walmart stores without waiting in line — a tool Walmart briefly tested but discontinued nearly two years ago .
A Walmart+-branded credit card will also be introduced at some point after launch .
Walmart also has plans to add video entertainment components to the program , though the details of this remain unclear .
In July , Walmart unveiled an online family entertainment program called CAMP by Walmart , in partnership with the retail startup CAMP and the online video technology firm Eko .
This video content , featuring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrymore , and LeBron James , will be free to all Walmart app users this summer .
But the program could point to a future where similar programming is gated off for Walmart+ members .
Walmart has also considered partnering with big media companies on video content perks .
The timing of the Walmart+ unveiling could both create opportunities for Walmart and present new challenges .
On one hand , as Recode recently reported , “ the share of people who said they have a positive impression of Amazon dropped from 74 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US to 58 percent in May in two similar , separate polls of more than 1,000 people conducted by Survey Monkey with Fortune and Recode , respectively.
” Amazon customers have seen extended delivery times during the pandemic , especially in March and April , in part due to the company ’ s focus for several weeks on prioritizing delivery of essential items .
The pandemic has also accelerated adoption of grocery delivery while simultaneously forcing tens of millions of Americans out of work , which could make fuel discounts especially attractive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ same record unemployment numbers could call into question the timing of introducing a program that is asking customers to spend more with you than they have during even good economic times .
Either way , the Walmart+ initiative is a top priority for Janey Whiteside , the company ’ s chief customer officer who joined from American Express in 2018 , according to sources .
Other top Walmart leaders , including CEO Doug McMillon , have also been active in planning , signaling the importance of the initiative .
Walmart executives have hoped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being valuable enough that customers will pay for it , while boasting different enough perks from Amazon Prime so that there aren ’ t perk-by-perk comparisons .
Shoppers should soon be able to decide for themselves .
Update , August 4 , 3:55 pm ET : This post has been updated to include the Walmart+ launch delay .
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Amazon may have a 15-year head start, but Walmart is close to finally unveiling its own membership program that it hopes will eventually become an alternative to Amazon Prime.
Walmart had planned to launch a new subscription service in July called Walmart+ that will cost $98 a year. It will include perks like same-day delivery of groceries and general merchandise, discounts on fuel at Walmart gas stations, and early access to product deals, multiple sources told Recode.
But Walmart has once again delayed the launch of Walmart+, Recode has learned. It’s unclear whether there’s a new internal launch date and whether the program will launch nationally or first on a regional level when the company finally unveils it. Walmart originally planned to launch Walmart+ in late March or April, Recode reported in February, but the retailer first pushed back the date to July after the Covid-19 pandemic began sweeping across the US in March.
A Walmart spokesperson declined to comment on the Walmart+ launch.
While Covid-19 panic-buying helped boost Walmart sales to record highs earlier this year, its US e-commerce presence is still only around an eighth the size of Amazon’s. Today, Amazon is valued at $1.56 trillion, while Walmart is worth $372 billion. And Amazon Prime is a big reason why.
Launched in 2005, Amazon Prime has become a loyalty program that now boasts more than 150 million members globally and sports a portfolio of perks, including express delivery of groceries and other items, access to a large catalog of TV shows and movies, as well as exclusive discounts at Whole Foods stores. Amazon Prime members, who pay $119 annually in the US, shop more frequently and spend more on Amazon than non-Prime members do. They also do price comparisons less across competitor sites.
Perhaps most problematic for Walmart is the fact that more than half of its top-spending families now have Amazon Prime memberships, Recode previously reported. It’s a trend that has been several years in the making, as Amazon has made moves for Prime to appeal to households with less disposable income that historically have favored shopping at Walmart.
Amazon added a monthly payment option for Prime in 2016, a 45 percent Prime fee discount for those on government assistance in 2017, and ways for Prime customers to pay for orders with cash last year. While Walmart’s overall grocery business is larger than Amazon’s, one fear at the Bentonville, Arkansas, retailer is that top Walmart customers could eventually turn to Amazon for groceries as well, as they get sucked further into the Prime suite of perks.
When Walmart+ launches, the $98 annual membership is expected to include unlimited same-day delivery of groceries and other goods from Walmart Supercenters, reserved delivery slots and open-slot notifications, as well as some access to Walmart’s new Express two-hour delivery offering, though not unlimited usage. During the pandemic, customers have run into issues securing grocery delivery slots in some parts of the country as companies like Walmart and Amazon struggled to handle drastic increases in demand for online grocery services.
Walmart+ perks are also expected to include discounts on fuel at Walmart gas stations, early access to some product deals, and a Scan & Go service that would allow shoppers to check out in Walmart stores without waiting in line — a tool Walmart briefly tested but discontinued nearly two years ago. A Walmart+-branded credit card will also be introduced at some point after launch.
Walmart also has plans to add video entertainment components to the program, though the details of this remain unclear. In July, Walmart unveiled an online family entertainment program called CAMP by Walmart, in partnership with the retail startup CAMP and the online video technology firm Eko. This video content, featuring celebrities like Neil Patrick Harris, Drew Barrymore, and LeBron James, will be free to all Walmart app users this summer. But the program could point to a future where similar programming is gated off for Walmart+ members. Walmart has also considered partnering with big media companies on video content perks.
The timing of the Walmart+ unveiling could both create opportunities for Walmart and present new challenges. On one hand, as Recode recently reported, “the share of people who said they have a positive impression of Amazon dropped from 74 percent in January before the pandemic hit the US to 58 percent in May in two similar, separate polls of more than 1,000 people conducted by Survey Monkey with Fortune and Recode, respectively.” Amazon customers have seen extended delivery times during the pandemic, especially in March and April, in part due to the company’s focus for several weeks on prioritizing delivery of essential items.
The pandemic has also accelerated adoption of grocery delivery while simultaneously forcing tens of millions of Americans out of work, which could make fuel discounts especially attractive. But at the same time, those same record unemployment numbers could call into question the timing of introducing a program that is asking customers to spend more with you than they have during even good economic times.
Either way, the Walmart+ initiative is a top priority for Janey Whiteside, the company’s chief customer officer who joined from American Express in 2018, according to sources. Other top Walmart leaders, including CEO Doug McMillon, have also been active in planning, signaling the importance of the initiative. Walmart executives have hoped the program would strike a balance of being valuable enough that customers will pay for it, while boasting different enough perks from Amazon Prime so that there aren’t perk-by-perk comparisons. Shoppers should soon be able to decide for themselves.
Update, August 4, 3:55 pm ET: This post has been updated to include the Walmart+ launch delay.


vox--2020-08-04--Mask mandates are crucial for fighting Covid-19. How should they be enforced?

Though 33 states now have face mask mandates , Gov .
Pete Ricketts says his state of Nebraska will not be joining them .
On Monday , Ricketts doubled down on his conviction that a statewide mask mandate would be too “ heavy-handed.
” “ I don ’ t want to make it a crime , ” he said at a press conference .
Ricketts ’ s resistance comes as his office is challenging mask ordinances in Lincoln and Lancaster County that have already gone into effect .
Teachers ’ unions , meanwhile , have called his failure to pass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of duty.
” “ I would die for my students .
Please don ’ t make me , ” read a teacher ’ s sign at a recent protest across from Ricketts ’ s office .
Though the science on the effectiveness of masks for reducing the spread of the coronavirus is more established now than it was early in the pandemic , mandatory masking is still a new and contentious idea .
Public health experts and unions are calling for a national mandate to protect the most vulnerable , but President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling CNN , “ No , I want people to have a certain freedom , and I don ’ t believe in that , no.
” Popular support for mask-wearing is growing : A Hill-HarrisX poll conducted from July 26-27 found that 82 percent of Americans would support a national mask mandate .
Yet mask-wearing has also been correlated with partisan identity , and many Americans still refuse to wear them in indoor public settings such as grocery stores , even in states and cities where mandates are in place .
Some are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get out of wearing a mask where it is now required .
As consensus grows on the urgency of widespread mask use to slow a raging national health crisis , policymakers are finding that mandates may be helpful but not entirely sufficient .
Perhaps unsurprisingly , enforcement — whether by local officials , police , or employees of airlines or retailers — is proving challenging .
Meanwhile , lessons from other health campaigns , including seatbelts , condoms , and texting while driving , suggest that public education is just as important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their behavior .
The science behind masks and mask mandates keeps getting stronger People can spread SARS-CoV-2 before they know they are sick , and masks help contain the large respiratory droplets that transmit the virus .
This primarily helps prevent an infected person — even if they don ’ t have symptoms — from spreading the virus to others .
Increasing evidence shows that masks may help protect wearers from breathing in aerosols , too .
In July , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) affirmed its guidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical tool in the fight against COVID-19 that could reduce the spread of the disease.
” The agency advises that anyone over the age of 2 should wear a face covering that goes over their nose and mouth in public , as well as around people who do not live in their household .
A study published in June in the journal Health Affairs , which looked at 15 states and the District of Columbia before and after their mask mandates , found that masks reduced new Covid-19 cases , particularly over time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks were required , new cases slowed by almost 1 percentage point ; at three weeks , it was 2 percentage points .
That may not sound like much , but it adds up .
Another study looking at coronavirus deaths in 198 countries found that countries “ with cultural norms or government policies supporting public mask-wearing ” had far fewer deaths .
Goldman Sachs has modeled the impact of a national mask mandate , and its analysis suggested that such an order could not only reduce the number of coronavirus cases but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GDP when used in place of lockdowns .
Many other countries — including the UK , where mask use was initially controversial — have issued national mask mandates .
Germany , for example , has required masks since April .
States are trying to make mask mandates stick with fines and jail time Many cities and states have decided to issue mask mandates , giving them the legal authority to prosecute people who don ’ t comply .
New Jersey was the first state to mandate mask-wearing indoors .
It did so back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , along with New York , was grappling with a massive wave of cases .
The order required customers and staff to wear face coverings at essential businesses and on public transit , and said businesses could deny entry to customers who refused to wear them .
In July , the order was extended to wearing masks outside when social distancing isn ’ t possible , although the governor has not said how it will be enforced .
The focus was initially on education , with volunteers in Newark passing out fliers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s police department announced it would begin handing summonses to anyone who did not comply .
In Colorado , both Denver and Boulder County adopted mask policies in May , which was notable both for the early timing and for the steep penalties right off the bat for breaking them .
In Boulder County , if you refuse to wear a mask in indoor and outdoor public spaces when you can ’ t stay 6 feet from others , you face up to a $ 5,000 fine and one year in jail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to $ 999 or 300 days in jail .
( Other countries , like Germany , are levying even heavier fines : Failing to comply with mask use there can lead to a fine of 10,000 euros , which is around $ 11,755 USD . )
Two months after those county-level mandates , Colorado ’ s governor issued a statewide mask order , which specified that counties and cities in the state are allowed to enforce even stricter rules .
Denver , for example , requires children over the age of 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only children over 11 to do so .
As Colorado ’ s cases increased through late July , Danica Lee , director of public health investigations at the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment , says that getting people to wear masks became a little easier , with people recognizing the higher risk of becoming infected .
Lee has been one of the top health officials in charge of Denver ’ s Covid-19 response , including finding the balance between educating the public on the importance of wearing masks and punishing those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far , we ’ ve been saving enforcement for truly egregious situations , ” she says .
But the department is switching up its tactics : It now has its own enforcement teams , which are currently focusing on night and weekend compliance .
“ At first , we focused on trying to encourage people to not be out socializing in public .
Over the past few weeks , we ’ ve had an increased focus on compliance with businesses , as well as individuals , ” Lee says .
As of July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask-related warnings .
In the last week of July , the department went from a total of seven mask citations to 27 , the majority of which were issued at bars and restaurants , and predominantly to management rather than to patrons .
These people have been given a court summons , and a judge will determine the fine amount or duration of jail time .
The first weekend of August , teams in Denver issued 20 tickets for violations of public health orders , including not wearing face coverings or exceeding crowd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses that were previously warned or had particularly egregious violations .
Lee recognizes that it can be hard for businesses to enforce Denver ’ s guidelines .
The department has been advising business owners to clearly post signs about wearing masks and ensure that their own employees do .
“ Basically , we ’ re advising taking all the measures you can , short of intervening with individuals , because there were quite a few safety concerns over interactions becoming politicized , ” Lee says .
“ Any time there is a conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could pose safety hazards , our guidance would be to contact law enforcement.
” Laws can also be difficult to enforce universally and equably , says Julia Marcus , an infectious disease epidemiologist and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School .
In one example , during a weekend in May , the New York Police Department handed out masks to white people in affluent neighborhoods while officers punched a Black man and issued tickets to other people of color for not wearing masks .
At the beginning of mask orders , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for people of color to cover their faces , like in a viral video of two Black men in surgical masks being tailed around a store by a policeman .
Now we are seeing that the opposite problem — being unfairly singled out for not wearing a mask — may also be an issue .
In the absence of state mandates , corporate mask rules fall on employees to enforce Many retailers , worried about their high-risk indoor environments , haven ’ t waited for government orders to require clients to wear masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Target , Walmart , McDonald ’ s , Kroger grocery stores , and Costco , have announced nationwide mask policies , even in places without a statewide order , like Arizona and Florida .
Home Depot , which rolled out a country-wide mask order on July 17 , says it has put up signs warning customers and plays announcements over the PA systems .
“ We also have social distancing captains who will remind customers that they must wear a mask , ” a company spokesperson wrote in an email .
Home Depot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without one .
But these mandates also come with limitations .
“ It ’ s too dangerous to forcibly or physically deny entry , ” the Home Depot spokesperson wrote .
These aren ’ t idle fears : In San Antonio , a passenger was shot after a man was told he couldn ’ t ride a public bus without a mask .
A Dollar Store employee in Michigan was killed after telling a customer to wear a mask .
And employees at a Trader Joe ’ s in Manhattan were taken to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who refused to wear masks .
A spokesperson for a major retailer , who asked not to be named because he didn ’ t have permission from his employer to speak with the media , said businesses just haven ’ t gotten the support they need from government and law enforcement to enforce mask policies .
“ There are [ customers ] who are just being stubborn now , and we ’ re trying to keep our employees safe , ” he told Vox .
He says when the company has called law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gotten the cold shoulder .
“ They ’ re like , ‘ Don ’ t call us for a mask policy , it ’ s a waste of our time .
We ’ re not coming.
’ Which is fine , I get it .
But if city officials are telling us we have to do it , and there ’ s no enforcement mechanism … the last thing we want to do is to have our employees physically engage anyone — over any activity.
” Airlines , on the other hand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask requirements .
A Delta flight was recently forced to return to its gate after two passengers refused to comply with its mask policy .
The airline warned that violations of its mask requirement might result in the loss of future travel privileges .
Alaska Airlines requires during check-in that people agree to wear a mask , and it provides masks on request for people who don ’ t have one .
If passengers refuse to wear one , flight attendants have been given the authority to give passengers a “ yellow card @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then ban repeat offenders from future travel .
American Airlines recently removed from the plane a woman who refused to wear a mask — and the other passengers clapped .
Other sectors of the travel industry are taking note : The American Hotel & Lodging Association , whose members include Hilton , Hyatt , Marriott , Radisson , and Wyndham , recently started requiring staff and guests to wear face masks regardless of state policy .
The specific rules will vary by company , and how this will be enforced hasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , president and CEO of the association , said in an emailed statement that many companies have already been instituting mask rules , which helps staff and guests “ to make it safer and easier for Americans to travel , while also supporting hotel and tourism employees.
” And as schools reopen , they may become ground zero for mask enforcement fights .
In Indiana , for example , Gov .
Eric Holcomb recently made a state-wide mandatory mask order for everyone , including all students in third grade and above .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the day , ” Holcomb said in a press conference .
“ When they leave school grounds , they need to see that everyone is doing what they ’ re doing — that best practices are best for all.
” To help make this mandate stick , Indiana has purchased 3.1 million masks to distribute to students .
Holcomb reportedly wanted to have breaking the mandate punishable as a class B misdemeanor , but after significant pressure , the order says that schools will be responsible for developing and implementing an enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mandates may soon see differing mask rules in schools , depending on their location .
That makes it harder for public health officials like Lee in Colorado , who says that in her experience , “ it ’ s really important to have consistent messages between health agencies ” at the local and state levels .
Shifting norms around masks to reduce the anger and the shame Many public health experts say that consistent public health education and effective messaging is the most important tool in getting people to change their behavior .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ banned from a business or issuing fines or jail time are not actually the best ways to get more people to wear masks in public .
“ As much as we can shift social norms around wearing masks so that there will be fewer angry people who refuse to wear them — that would be best , ” Marcus says .
According to Marcus , the AIDS epidemic is an excellent example of the perils of criminalization .
There are laws in 26 states around the country that make it illegal to not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having sex , but they have only increased stigma and abuse .
“ The way I see it , it ’ s all on a spectrum — shaming and fines and arrests , it ’ s all the same punitive model , ” she says .
“ Ideally , we would have a model that promotes collective action through rewards and positive reinforcement , ” Marcus says .
The Surgeon General recently modeled an example of what that would look like , telling the president at an event : “ You look badass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mixed mask messaging from government leaders — and even evolving recommendations from health agencies — hasn ’ t helped unify people around this effective public health action .
It can understandably be hard for residents to embrace this sort of new behavior when even their local officials can ’ t agree on it .
For example , in Georgia , where Atlanta ’ s mayor , Keisha Lance Bottom — who herself has tested positive for Covid-19 — tried to create a mask mandate .
The governor sued to try to block @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behalf of the Atlanta business owners and their hardworking employees who are struggling to survive ” ) .
“ The main problem with masks now is the lack of a coherent message from the leaders , ” says Alex Horenstein , an assistant professor of economics at Miami Herbert Business School at the University of Miami , who studies behavioral economics .
He says that this leads to inaccurately assessing the risk of not wearing a mask “ since the signal is too noisy , ” adding that if more people do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making those who do less safe too — and possibly leading people to the false conclusion that masks don ’ t work .
Marcus has found that in conversations with people who are ideologically opposed to masks that they are surprisingly willing “ to listen to a scientist when that scientist doesn ’ t shame them or yell at them for their risky behavior.
” Instead , she tries to acknowledge their concerns — like that masks aren ’ t effective or that masks infringe on their liberties .
From there , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , talking about how masks are more important in certain settings or about other people ’ s freedom when distancing isn ’ t an option .
“ This is what public health does , ” Marcus says .
“ We try to understand what ’ s making it hard and then adopt strategies to increase adherence.
” It ’ s also entirely normal for there to be resistance to a public health intervention , says Horenstein .
“ People want to have a choice over how much risk they want to face , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make a regulation that constrains people ’ s choices too much , what happens is they change their behavior so they can still approach their optimal risk.
” Like Marcus , Horenstein says the best answer is public education , tailored to specific audiences ’ risks and values .
Yet , he adds , risks , at the end of the day , are collective .
“ So the question we ’ re facing with masks is : What risk should we let people take when their decisions affect others ?
” Lois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Follow her Covid-19 reporting on Twitter @ loisparshley .
Every day at Vox , we aim 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 .
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Though 33 states now have face mask mandates, Gov. Pete Ricketts says his state of Nebraska will not be joining them. On Monday, Ricketts doubled down on his conviction that a statewide mask mandate would be too “heavy-handed.”
“I don’t want to make it a crime,” he said at a press conference.
Ricketts’s resistance comes as his office is challenging mask ordinances in Lincoln and Lancaster County that have already gone into effect. Teachers’ unions, meanwhile, have called his failure to pass a statewide mask order a “dereliction of duty.”
“I would die for my students. Please don’t make me,” read a teacher’s sign at a recent protest across from Ricketts’s office.
Teachers from across the metro are standing along Dodge Street this afternoon to tell Gov. Pete Ricketts that Nebraska needs a mask mandate.
“What do we want?”
“A mask mandate.”
“When do we want it?”
“Now.” pic.twitter.com/QI3kBslc6a — Emily Nitcher (@emily_nitcher) July 24, 2020
Though the science on the effectiveness of masks for reducing the spread of the coronavirus is more established now than it was early in the pandemic, mandatory masking is still a new and contentious idea. Public health experts and unions are calling for a national mandate to protect the most vulnerable, but President Donald Trump has said he opposes it, telling CNN, “No, I want people to have a certain freedom, and I don’t believe in that, no.”
Popular support for mask-wearing is growing: A Hill-HarrisX poll conducted from July 26-27 found that 82 percent of Americans would support a national mask mandate. Yet mask-wearing has also been correlated with partisan identity, and many Americans still refuse to wear them in indoor public settings such as grocery stores, even in states and cities where mandates are in place. Some are even using fake exemption cards to try to get out of wearing a mask where it is now required.
As consensus grows on the urgency of widespread mask use to slow a raging national health crisis, policymakers are finding that mandates may be helpful but not entirely sufficient. Perhaps unsurprisingly, enforcement — whether by local officials, police, or employees of airlines or retailers — is proving challenging. Meanwhile, lessons from other health campaigns, including seatbelts, condoms, and texting while driving, suggest that public education is just as important if you actually want people to change their behavior.
The science behind masks and mask mandates keeps getting stronger
People can spread SARS-CoV-2 before they know they are sick, and masks help contain the large respiratory droplets that transmit the virus. This primarily helps prevent an infected person — even if they don’t have symptoms — from spreading the virus to others. Increasing evidence shows that masks may help protect wearers from breathing in aerosols, too.
In July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) affirmed its guidance that “cloth face coverings are a critical tool in the fight against COVID-19 that could reduce the spread of the disease.” The agency advises that anyone over the age of 2 should wear a face covering that goes over their nose and mouth in public, as well as around people who do not live in their household.
A study published in June in the journal Health Affairs, which looked at 15 states and the District of Columbia before and after their mask mandates, found that masks reduced new Covid-19 cases, particularly over time. In the first five days after masks were required, new cases slowed by almost 1 percentage point; at three weeks, it was 2 percentage points. That may not sound like much, but it adds up. Another study looking at coronavirus deaths in 198 countries found that countries “with cultural norms or government policies supporting public mask-wearing” had far fewer deaths.
Goldman Sachs has modeled the impact of a national mask mandate, and its analysis suggested that such an order could not only reduce the number of coronavirus cases but also prevent a 5 percent loss in GDP when used in place of lockdowns. Many other countries — including the UK, where mask use was initially controversial — have issued national mask mandates. Germany, for example, has required masks since April.
States are trying to make mask mandates stick with fines and jail time
Many cities and states have decided to issue mask mandates, giving them the legal authority to prosecute people who don’t comply.
New Jersey was the first state to mandate mask-wearing indoors. It did so back on April 8, when the state, along with New York, was grappling with a massive wave of cases. The order required customers and staff to wear face coverings at essential businesses and on public transit, and said businesses could deny entry to customers who refused to wear them.
In July, the order was extended to wearing masks outside when social distancing isn’t possible, although the governor has not said how it will be enforced. The focus was initially on education, with volunteers in Newark passing out fliers, but later that month, the city’s police department announced it would begin handing summonses to anyone who did not comply.
In Colorado, both Denver and Boulder County adopted mask policies in May, which was notable both for the early timing and for the steep penalties right off the bat for breaking them. In Boulder County, if you refuse to wear a mask in indoor and outdoor public spaces when you can’t stay 6 feet from others, you face up to a $5,000 fine and one year in jail; in Denver, it’s up to $999 or 300 days in jail. (Other countries, like Germany, are levying even heavier fines: Failing to comply with mask use there can lead to a fine of 10,000 euros, which is around $11,755 USD.) Two months after those county-level mandates, Colorado’s governor issued a statewide mask order, which specified that counties and cities in the state are allowed to enforce even stricter rules. Denver, for example, requires children over the age of 3 to wear masks; the state requires only children over 11 to do so.
As Colorado’s cases increased through late July, Danica Lee, director of public health investigations at the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment, says that getting people to wear masks became a little easier, with people recognizing the higher risk of becoming infected. Lee has been one of the top health officials in charge of Denver’s Covid-19 response, including finding the balance between educating the public on the importance of wearing masks and punishing those who refuse to comply.
“So far, we’ve been saving enforcement for truly egregious situations,” she says. But the department is switching up its tactics: It now has its own enforcement teams, which are currently focusing on night and weekend compliance. “At first, we focused on trying to encourage people to not be out socializing in public. Over the past few weeks, we’ve had an increased focus on compliance with businesses, as well as individuals,” Lee says. As of July 30, the department had issued 809 mask-related warnings.
In the last week of July, the department went from a total of seven mask citations to 27, the majority of which were issued at bars and restaurants, and predominantly to management rather than to patrons. These people have been given a court summons, and a judge will determine the fine amount or duration of jail time. The first weekend of August, teams in Denver issued 20 tickets for violations of public health orders, including not wearing face coverings or exceeding crowd capacities. Inspection teams also closed five businesses that were previously warned or had particularly egregious violations.
Lee recognizes that it can be hard for businesses to enforce Denver’s guidelines. The department has been advising business owners to clearly post signs about wearing masks and ensure that their own employees do. “Basically, we’re advising taking all the measures you can, short of intervening with individuals, because there were quite a few safety concerns over interactions becoming politicized,” Lee says. “Any time there is a conflict with a patron that looks like it could pose safety hazards, our guidance would be to contact law enforcement.”
Laws can also be difficult to enforce universally and equitably, says Julia Marcus, an infectious disease epidemiologist and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.
In one example, during a weekend in May, the New York Police Department handed out masks to white people in affluent neighborhoods while officers punched a Black man and issued tickets to other people of color for not wearing masks. At the beginning of mask orders, some worried that racism would make it unsafe for people of color to cover their faces, like in a viral video of two Black men in surgical masks being tailed around a store by a policeman. Now we are seeing that the opposite problem — being unfairly singled out for not wearing a mask — may also be an issue.
In the absence of state mandates, corporate mask rules fall on employees to enforce
Many retailers, worried about their high-risk indoor environments, haven’t waited for government orders to require clients to wear masks. Major chains, including CVS, Target, Walmart, McDonald’s, Kroger grocery stores, and Costco, have announced nationwide mask policies, even in places without a statewide order, like Arizona and Florida.
Home Depot, which rolled out a country-wide mask order on July 17, says it has put up signs warning customers and plays announcements over the PA systems. “We also have social distancing captains who will remind customers that they must wear a mask,” a company spokesperson wrote in an email. Home Depot will offer masks to those who arrive without one.
But these mandates also come with limitations. “It’s too dangerous to forcibly or physically deny entry,” the Home Depot spokesperson wrote.
These aren’t idle fears: In San Antonio, a passenger was shot after a man was told he couldn’t ride a public bus without a mask. A Dollar Store employee in Michigan was killed after telling a customer to wear a mask. And employees at a Trader Joe’s in Manhattan were taken to the hospital after a fight with customers who refused to wear masks.
A spokesperson for a major retailer, who asked not to be named because he didn’t have permission from his employer to speak with the media, said businesses just haven’t gotten the support they need from government and law enforcement to enforce mask policies. “There are [customers] who are just being stubborn now, and we’re trying to keep our employees safe,” he told Vox. He says when the company has called law enforcement for help, some stores have gotten the cold shoulder. “They’re like, ‘Don’t call us for a mask policy, it’s a waste of our time. We’re not coming.’ Which is fine, I get it. But if city officials are telling us we have to do it, and there’s no enforcement mechanism … the last thing we want to do is to have our employees physically engage anyone — over any activity.”
Airlines, on the other hand, have had some success in enforcing their mask requirements. A Delta flight was recently forced to return to its gate after two passengers refused to comply with its mask policy. The airline warned that violations of its mask requirement might result in the loss of future travel privileges.
Alaska Airlines requires during check-in that people agree to wear a mask, and it provides masks on request for people who don’t have one. If passengers refuse to wear one, flight attendants have been given the authority to give passengers a “yellow card” warning, like in soccer, and then ban repeat offenders from future travel. American Airlines recently removed from the plane a woman who refused to wear a mask — and the other passengers clapped.
Other sectors of the travel industry are taking note: The American Hotel & Lodging Association, whose members include Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Radisson, and Wyndham, recently started requiring staff and guests to wear face masks regardless of state policy. The specific rules will vary by company, and how this will be enforced hasn’t been made clear. Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the association, said in an emailed statement that many companies have already been instituting mask rules, which helps staff and guests “to make it safer and easier for Americans to travel, while also supporting hotel and tourism employees.”
And as schools reopen, they may become ground zero for mask enforcement fights. In Indiana, for example, Gov. Eric Holcomb recently made a state-wide mandatory mask order for everyone, including all students in third grade and above. “Kids should not be getting mixed messages throughout the day,” Holcomb said in a press conference. “When they leave school grounds, they need to see that everyone is doing what they’re doing — that best practices are best for all.”
To help make this mandate stick, Indiana has purchased 3.1 million masks to distribute to students. Holcomb reportedly wanted to have breaking the mandate punishable as a class B misdemeanor, but after significant pressure, the order says that schools will be responsible for developing and implementing an enforcement plan. States like Nebraska lacking statewide mandates may soon see differing mask rules in schools, depending on their location. That makes it harder for public health officials like Lee in Colorado, who says that in her experience, “it’s really important to have consistent messages between health agencies” at the local and state levels.
Shifting norms around masks to reduce the anger and the shame
Many public health experts say that consistent public health education and effective messaging is the most important tool in getting people to change their behavior. Which means that threatening people with being banned from a business or issuing fines or jail time are not actually the best ways to get more people to wear masks in public.
“As much as we can shift social norms around wearing masks so that there will be fewer angry people who refuse to wear them — that would be best,” Marcus says.
According to Marcus, the AIDS epidemic is an excellent example of the perils of criminalization. There are laws in 26 states around the country that make it illegal to not disclose if you are HIV positive before having sex, but they have only increased stigma and abuse. “The way I see it, it’s all on a spectrum — shaming and fines and arrests, it’s all the same punitive model,” she says.
“Ideally, we would have a model that promotes collective action through rewards and positive reinforcement,” Marcus says. The Surgeon General recently modeled an example of what that would look like, telling the president at an event: “You look badass in a facemask.”
Thus far, the mixed mask messaging from government leaders — and even evolving recommendations from health agencies — hasn’t helped unify people around this effective public health action. It can understandably be hard for residents to embrace this sort of new behavior when even their local officials can’t agree on it.
For example, in Georgia, where Atlanta’s mayor, Keisha Lance Bottom — who herself has tested positive for Covid-19 — tried to create a mask mandate. The governor sued to try to block the mandate in court (“on behalf of the Atlanta business owners and their hardworking employees who are struggling to survive”).
“The main problem with masks now is the lack of a coherent message from the leaders,” says Alex Horenstein, an assistant professor of economics at Miami Herbert Business School at the University of Miami, who studies behavioral economics. He says that this leads to inaccurately assessing the risk of not wearing a mask “since the signal is too noisy,” adding that if more people do not wear masks, the risk aggregates, making those who do less safe too — and possibly leading people to the false conclusion that masks don’t work.
Marcus has found that in conversations with people who are ideologically opposed to masks that they are surprisingly willing “to listen to a scientist when that scientist doesn’t shame them or yell at them for their risky behavior.”
Instead, she tries to acknowledge their concerns — like that masks aren’t effective or that masks infringe on their liberties. From there, they can have a conversation about these issues, talking about how masks are more important in certain settings or about other people’s freedom when distancing isn’t an option. “This is what public health does,” Marcus says. “We try to understand what’s making it hard and then adopt strategies to increase adherence.”
It’s also entirely normal for there to be resistance to a public health intervention, says Horenstein. “People want to have a choice over how much risk they want to face,” he says. “If you make a regulation that constrains people’s choices too much, what happens is they change their behavior so they can still approach their optimal risk.”
Like Marcus, Horenstein says the best answer is public education, tailored to specific audiences’ risks and values. Yet, he adds, risks, at the end of the day, are collective. “So the question we’re facing with masks is: What risk should we let people take when their decisions affect others?”
Lois Parshley is a freelance investigative journalist. Follow her Covid-19 reporting on Twitter @loisparshley.