China to reopen cinemas next week as coronavirus cases fall

BEIJING (AFP) - Most Chinese cinemas will be allowed to reopen next week with social distancing rules following months of coronavirus closures, the authorities said on Thursday (July 16), as domestic infections remained at zero for 10 straight days.

Movie theatres in "low-risk" areas of the country can resume operations next Monday, but must screen patrons for fever and enforce mask-wearing, the China Film Administration said.

Cinemas are also required to sell tickets for no more than 30 per cent of the available seats at each screening, and must keep groups of moviegoers at least 1m apart, the administration said.

Chinese film authorities announced in March that they would reopen cinemas, which have been shut since late January, but swiftly reversed the decision the same month after fresh clusters of cases were discovered across the country.

China on Thursday reported only one new virus case, imported from overseas, and most of the country is classified as "low risk" for virus outbreaks.

Cinemas have suffered a massive blow to earnings this year, as they are among the last businesses to reopen even as new infections dwindle and the country slowly returns to normal.

The country's largest cinema chain, Wanda Film, said on Wednesday it expected to report a loss of at least 1.5 billion yuan (S$298 million) for the first half of the year.