Vitsebsk Actor Hospitalized To Intensive Care Unit With Coronavirus

The Jakub Kolas Drama Theatre in Vitsebsk has cancelled its performances until April 18.

One of the actors is hospitalized in intensive care with pneumonia - and he has a positive test for coronavirus. However, there is no quarantine in the theater, and the directorate explains the cancellation of performances by the emptiness of the hall, tut.by writes.

- Until April 18, we are working in rehearsal regime, - director of the Drama Theatre Aliaksandr Starykh said. - The performances have been cancelled because the occupancy rate of the hall is low. People do not go to the theatre now. There are few tickets sold, and sometimes they are not sold at all. And it's been happening since mid-March. So for now, until April 18 - a rehearsal regime, and then we will look at the situation. As every new day differs from the previous one.

- There are rumors in the city that several of your artists allegedly got coronavirus.

- As of today, it is not a few, but one person. He has pneumonia, and he's in intensive care. His coronavirus test was positive.

According to the head, 11 employees of the theater are on sick leave as of March 30:

- There is lung inflammation, there is U.R.I., there is ARVI - all of them have different diagnoses. But two, or possibly three, employees will start working tomorrow.

Aliaksandr Starykh stressed that there is no quarantine in the theatre. However, the institution uses all sanitary measures for prevention:

- We constantly keep in touch with epidemiologists, follow all their recommendations.

On March 29, the play "Once Again About Love" based on the stories of Vasili Shukshin was canceled, and on March 31, the play "Looking for Tenor!" based on the play by Ken Ludwig will not be staged, the website of Vitsebsk Drama Theater reports.

It's expected that the next performances on the Kolas stage will be held on April 21-22. The Chamber Drama Theater from Minsk is supposed to come on tour in Vitsebsk these days.

- We'll call our colleagues from Minsk to clarify whether their tour will take place.

The theatre is planning to show the play from its own repertoire on April 23 - it's going to be a comedy "Over the Top" by Herbert Berger.

Then the performances will be held almost every day of the last week of April.

We remind that on Friday, by the order of the Minister, all police officers of the country were banned from entering and leaving Vitsebsk region.