Paisley Nahanee is longing for those exhilarating club nights, the ones where bumping into a few old friends on the dance floor wasnB次元官网网址檛 considered a health risk.

But when the disc jockey and event organizer throws a couple parties at VancouverB次元官网网址檚 pride festivities this weekend, nobody will be making close encounters beneath the disco light, under orders from British Columbia health officials.

B次元官网网址淭his is going be really different,B次元官网网址� Nahanee said of two physically distanced Level Up! events that are restricted to outdoor seating of 50 people at the Clubhouse bar.

The parties are billed as B次元官网网址渘ot quite like last year, but with the same spirit,B次元官网网址� and without an overflowing dance floor itB次元官网网址檒l certainly feel scaled down.

Instead of crowds numbering in the hundreds, guests can reserve tickets for up to six of their friends on the patio. Together, theyB次元官网网址檒l congregate in their circle B次元官网网址� or B次元官网网址減odB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� for a two-hour window before making way for the next round of partiers. ItB次元官网网址檚 regimented, but for Nahanee, at least itB次元官网网址檚 happening.

B次元官网网址淧artygoers just have to change their expectations,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檙e not going to meet any new friends.B次元官网网址�

A province-wide ban on dance floors went into effect last week after a number of COVID-19 cases linked to bars and clubs raised concerns over close contact. The move dealt another blow to the crippled local club industry thatB次元官网网址檚 struggled to reopen in the midst of the pandemic.

Club operators in B.C. arenB次元官网网址檛 alone either. Any bar or venue with a dance floor as a draw might be forced to rethink how they operate with no end to COVID-19 in sight. In Toronto, large venues remain closed, while in Montreal nightclubs are back in business without dance floors and with limited capacity.

Morgan Deane, a New York-based expert in the clubbing industry, has called for a widespread reckoning with the future of nightlife.

B次元官网网址淓veryoneB次元官网网址檚 still operating in this modality of when COVID is over, everything will go back to normal,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淭hings are not going back to normal.B次元官网网址�

Deane, whoB次元官网网址檚 spent more than 15 years helping launch new venues and run electronic music festivals, wants to see club owners stop seeking temporary fixes and instead look at B次元官网网址漜ompletely reimaginingB次元官网网址� their business.

Her online guide B次元官网网址滱 Light in the NightB次元官网网址� serves as a roadmap for small clubs hoping to reopen during the pandemic. It compiles illustrations of suggested venue layouts alongside best practices made in consultation with industry professionals and health experts.

The guideB次元官网网址檚 encourages standard practices, such as enhanced cleaning and wearing masks, as well as mandatory temperature checks for all staff.

In the VIP section, the safety model suggests alcohol be stored in a B次元官网网址漛ottle cageB次元官网网址� thatB次元官网网址檚 only accessible by the service staff to minimize contact. The new practice would add a barrier to the typical VIP experience where clubgoers shell out big bucks to pour from expensive bottles of liquor at will.

On the dance floor, various distancing measures could separate partiers, including circles on the floor that isolate dancers from each other and a double rope that keeps two metres separation from the seated area to prevent overspill.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 really reimagining what a dance floor is,B次元官网网址� Deane said.

B次元官网网址淣ot saying we canB次元官网网址檛 dance anymore or that there can only be lounges, but what can we do instead?B次元官网网址�

Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases expert at Toronto General Hospital and associate professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, said the guidelines outlined by Deane are well thought out, though heB次元官网网址檚 still concerned about how they would fare in a real-world setting.

Many people still assume that masks are a fail-proof barrier, and Bogoch worries that could play out in the clubs.

B次元官网网址淢asks might provide a little bit of benefit but not as much as people think,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淭hey forget that physical distancing is really driving it.B次元官网网址�

He said itB次元官网网址檚 time for a B次元官网网址渢remendous PR campaignB次元官网网址� that encourages people to understand the roles of masks and physical distancing in indoor spaces.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think thereB次元官网网址檚 any easy answer here,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎 lot of things are very easy to say, but just hard to do.B次元官网网址�

Reza Afshari, a clinical professor at the University of British Columbia, expects the coming months will be unpredictable for nightlife as more people head indoors in the cooler weather. While that presents new hurdles that could lead to rollbacks in reopenings, he believes a collaborative relationship between the provincial government, scientists and club owners themselves could help endure the challenges ahead.

B次元官网网址淧utting regulation in place is like a faucet that youB次元官网网址檙e opening more. If you see there are some side effects, then the speed of the running water should become slower,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淭here is no rule thatB次元官网网址檚 being written on a stone.B次元官网网址�

David Friend, The Canadian Press

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