Published 05:41 IST, August 3rd 2020
Salzburg festival kicks off its 100th edition despite COVID-19 pandemic
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Austria’s month-long cultural festival opened with the strict anti-coronavirus measure in place on Saturday, August 1.
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While concert halls and atres worldwide remain shut, Austria unveiled prestigious summer music event Salzburg Festival's 110th edition this weekend. Amid COVID-19 pandemic, Austria’s month-long cultural festival opened with strict anti-coronavirus measure in place on Saturday, August 1.
According to international media reports, organisers of annual Salzburg Festival h earlier planned 200 events for its star-studded centenary edition, but pandemic slimmed-down programme inste.
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Salzburg Festival's first day was marked by a performance of Richard Strauss's blood-curdling opera Elektra. curtain also rose for celebrated play Everyman, which is written by one of festivals’ original founders Hugo von Hofmannsthal.
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A thunderstorm, however, forced performances indoors. As per reports, audiences are obliged to wear face mask although change in location me it difficult for people to maintain a safe distance.
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Strict safety measures
In a bid to here to health guidelines and keeping in mind safety, organisers are imposing strict safety measures on 110 shows that still going ahe. officials also informed that all 80,000 tickets on sale are personalised to enable contact-tracing in case of an infection. authorities are also reported to have cancelled all intermissions and catering services.
Moreover, artists who are unable to keep a distance of at least three feet from ir colleagues have been asked to undergo regular COVID-19 testing. Austria, so far, has managed to contain spre of virus.
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Currently, country has some 21,000 confirmed cases and nearly 700 deaths. However, reports state that new infections have been rising in recent weeks and a recent cluster is at Lake Wolfgang, less than 50 kilometres from Salzburg.
(Image Credits: AP)
05:41 IST, August 3rd 2020