The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has recently revealed that an audience member in their last Sunday’s evening screening is possibly infected with COVID-19. While the case is deemed as “low risk” by health and safety consultants, Medcan, the event’s organizers still advised attendees to have themselves tested just to be sure.
The screening was held on September 12 at the Scotiabank Theatre, where the film The Humans was shown. While the TIFF required a negative COVID-19 test or proof of complete vaccination for individuals to join their screening events, the infected person seemed to have managed to slip through their strict admission procedures.
After the discovery of the possibly infected individual in their screening last Sunday, the TIFF immediately notified the attendees of the same through email. Some of the attendees lauded this move. They even shared a screenshot of the message they received from the film festival’s organizers in a series of tweets.
Jason Gorber commended the TIFF for “treating patrons like adults and for informing without causing panic or spreading false info.” Gorber also added that while he has been “highly critical of lots from this year, this is clearly a smart move that surpasses all other fests.”
The TIFF strictly observes health and safety protocols to ensure that the spread of COVID-19 is staved off during their screenings. Apart from prohibiting attendees from bringing food and drinks, masks are also mandated to be worn at all times.
