Cannes’ COVID Protocols: Masks and Testing Won’t Be Mandatory

variety.com:

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentThe Cannes Film Festival, which is set to kick off on May 17 in the French Riviera, is significantly loosening its COVID health and safety protocols.The annual celebration of movies won’t be testing attendees as it did last year and will not institute a mask mandate at screenings and events.Variety spoke exclusively with Cannes general secretary François Desrousseaux, who has been hammering out protocols with the festival’s organizers, producers and Cannes regional authorities for the last couple of years.

One big change compared with 2021 is that the health pass which made it mandatory for all attendees to show a proof of vaccination, immunity or test results has been scrapped since March 14. “Since vaccination is no longer required to enter the Palais and access screenings or press conferences, guests will be able to come and go without having to get tested,” said Desrousseaux.

The executive said “most participants will likely be vaccinated anyway, because France has made it very complicated for non-vaccinated travellers to enter the country.” He also pointed out roughly 95% of the adult population in France has already received two shots of the vaccine. “We’re in a very different situation as last year because the curb of COVID-19 infections is going down, instead of going up,” the Paris-based executive said.As of April 29, cases of COVID in France dropped by 30%, a sign that the rate of infection is slowing.

However, film festivals and awards shows have been super-spreader events, with the likes of SXSW, the Oscars and the BAFTA awards resulting in numerous cases of COVID.Desrousseaux said the absence of compulsory testing should come as a relief to all those whose.