Image copyright
fake pictures
Chinese theaters are reopening after being closed for six months to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The China Film Administration said screens in “low risk” areas could reopen from today.
Since most of the country is now classified as low risk, it is expected to be essentially a national reopening.
China’s cinemas were badly affected by the shutdown that started in January, and many have already been forced to close.
Theaters that are reopened will be subject to a strict set of rules, including screenings that will be limited to 30% capacity and the number of films shown in a venue with a limit of 50% of their previous volume.
Customer temperatures will be taken, and both movie goers and staff must wear masks at all times.
Tickets must be purchased online and separate groups of customers must sit at least one meter away.
Under the restrictions, food and drinks will not be allowed in theaters. This will be a particularly important new hit, as it has long been a major part of the industry’s revenue.
China, which was the first epicenter of the pandemic, is the world’s second largest market for movies, and the country’s box office grossed $ 9.2 billion (£ 7.4 billion) in 2019.
But unsurprisingly, these numbers are expected to drop sharply due to the closings of cinemas and national and Hollywood movie releases that are canceled or moved online.
Earlier this month, China’s largest cinema owner, Wanda Film, warned that it would suffer losses for the first six months of the year.
The company, which has more than 600 theaters across the country, said it expected a loss of up to 1.6 billion yuan (£ 182 million), compared to a profit of 524 million yuan at the same time last year.
