Berlin Film Festival Records 128 Positive Covid Cases In 7 Days, 1.5% Of Tests Taken
The Berlin International Film Festival confirmed today it has recorded 128 positive Covid cases from 10,938 tests taken at testing stations around fest hub Potsdamer Platz.
That’s 1.5% of tests returning positive for the event, lower than the average percentage being recorded around the city of Berlin, according to the fest.
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The numbers cover February 10 – February 16, with the fest running in a condensed format this year. Last night, the winners of the Silver and Golden Bears were announced. The remaining four days of the festival will be dedicated to catch-up screenings for local audiences, so the numbers could rise.
This year’s Berlinale took place amidst the city’s wave of Omicron, with cases reaching a high of 380,000 in a day just two days prior to the fest, and peaking again yesterday, when they crossed 400,000 in one day for the first time.
The challenging set of circumstances saw organizers turn the fest into a ‘2G event’, meaning any visitor needed to evidence full vaccination status, while entry to cinemas and main festival venues was also dependent on receiving a daily negative antigen test. Theaters were also restricted to 50% capacity, and mask-wearing was mandatory throughout.
Despite the guidelines, the impact of Covid was felt during the event. Isabelle Adjani, co-star of opening movie Peter Von Kant, was unable to attend the premiere due to being a close contact, while Isabelle Huppert was unable to fly into Berlin to pick up her honorary Golden Bear after testing positive.
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