Patrons can catch shows on the big screen again at the Carolina Theatre in Durham

As concerns grow over climbing COVID-19 cases, theatre officials say they are taking steps to keep people safe.

“It’s been a challenging 17 months,” said Randy McKay, the President and CEO of The Carolina Theatre referencing the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on the theatre. “I can’t wait to welcome the community back to their space again."

Carolina Theatre of Durham temporarily closing

“It’s really hard when you can’t do the thing that it is that you do. And when you can’t bring the public in to celebrate each other,” McKay said. “Carolina Theatre has been around for almost 100 years. It’s been apart of the fabric of our community through so many changes."

Those changes continue. On the eve of the theatre’s reopening day, the rise of COVID-19 cases is making headlines. McKay encourages people to get vaccinated or wear masks, but as of now masks aren’t required at the venue.

He said a lot of time and money have been invested in cleaning, equipment and training staff to ensure a safe experience for everyone who desires to come.

“We’ve installed polar ionization filtration in here which means it’s a lot of big words but what it means is that 97% of pathogens remove from the air every time they pass through,” he said.

Along with that comes contactless options and hand sanitization stations. McKay described the importance of helping the theatre and local businesses thrive. He said the theatre is an economic driver for downtown, but adds, that means nothing if the community can’t come together to beat the virus.

“It is important that we do whatever we can to make sure but we can remain open and viable so that we can drive traffic to those other businesses here downtown,” he added.