The Opéra National de Paris will lose up to 40 million euros as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an interview with France Inter, Stéphane Lissner, the company’s general director mentioned a cumulative loss, noting that many plans for the 2020-21 season could be disrupted heavily as a result.

In the interview, Lissner also mentioned that the protocols for reinstating performances were not particularly practical for audience members, artists, and employees.

“It’s impossible to attract 2,700 people and respect distancing. It’s impossible to maintain distances in the orchestra, the chorus… It’s impossible. We are waiting on a vaccine, medication… Maybe the virus disappears. We have to be optimistic.”

It has been a rough year for the Opéra National de Paris which was already dealing with stoppages in its 2019-20 season long before the COVID-19 pandemic kicked into high gear. Throughout December and January, the company was shutting down performances and canceling productions due to labor strikes that were not resolved until February. Even then, there were still lingering tensions that were ultimately left unresolved when theaters around the world were forced to shut down to enforce social distancing and diminish the spread of coronavirus.