France bans movie theatre popcorn in effort to contain omicron variant
Moviegoers in France will have to forego theatre popcorn for at least three weeks as the Omicron variant continues to surge, the Associated Press reports. The government has now banned eating and drinking in cinemas, sports venues, and public transportation, part of an effort to enforce its strict mask mandate, which extends to time spent outdoors. Entertainment venues mostly seem relieved that policymakers stopped short of shuttering them altogether; the one company that supplies concessions for 70 percent of French cinemas, not so much. —H. Claire Brown
