Government Andrew M. Cuomo announced at a news conference on Monday that movie theaters in New York could open for the first time in nearly a year.
The theaters may operate only 25 percent of their maximum capacity, with no more than 50 people per show. Masks will be mandatory and theaters will have to allocate seats to customers to ensure proper social distance. Tests for the virus are not required.
At the end of October, movie theaters with similar limits were allowed, but the city of New York was excluded out of concern that the city’s density would accelerate the spread of the virus there.
The virus has plagued the film industry. In October, the owner of Regal Cinemas, the second-largest cinema chain in the United States, will temporarily close its theaters because Hollywood studios are constantly postponing the shows and the cautious audience is reluctant to return to the shows. AMC, the world’s largest movie theater chain, has increasingly shown bankruptcy.
The economic consequences of the pandemic are particularly noticeable in New York City, one of the largest film markets in the United States. Theaters in the city closed in mid-March as the region became a center of the country’s pandemic.
While other indoor businesses, including restaurants, bowling alleys and museums were allowed to open in the city, Mr. Cuomo movie theaters kept closed out of concern because people would sit for hours indoors in poorly ventilated theaters and risk further spread. of the virus.
Some of the theaters that will be opened will have improved air filtration systems. Public health experts say that the quality of ventilation is most important when considering indoor gatherings.
The announcement of mr. Cuomo was applauded by the National Association of Theater Owners.
“The city of New York is an important market for films in the USA; the reopening there gives confidence to film distributors in setting up and keeping their theater series dates, and it’s an important step in restoring the entire industry, ‘the association said in a statement.
The move took place a few days after Mr. Cuomo said indoor family entertainment centers and entertainment venues could reopen nationwide on March 26, with a maximum capacity of 25 percent, on March 26.
The governor also said the state was working on guidelines to reopen pool and billiard halls after the state lost a lawsuit against pool servants. The institutions will be allowed to reopen at 50 percent capacity with the required masks, he said.
Fall in New York remains high, despite declining from its peak in January. Over the past seven days, the state has averaged 38 cases per 100,000 residents per day since Sunday. This is the second highest per capita percentage of new cases in the country in the past week, after South Carolina.