China to Reopen Cinemas on July 20 After Six-Month Virus Break

LIAO SHUMIN

(Yicai Global) July 16 — Cinemas in China’s low-risk regions for Covid-19 can reopen on July 20 after a six-month pause, which is giving a ray of hope for entertainment companies.

Movie theaters will still need to leave 70 percent of their seats empty during each screening to ensure that the safety of their customers, the China Film Administration said in a statement today. Moviegoers need to book online with their real names.

The announcement was welcomed by investors. Shares of China’s biggest cinema operator Wanda Film Holding [SHE:002739] jumped as much as 8.8 percent intraday today, and were 1.1 percent up at CNY20.08 (USD2.90) in the afternoon.

Cinemas should reduce the number of screenings to half of their normal levels and try to arrange their schedules so as to avoid crowdedness in common areas, the statement added. They need to extend the intervals between each show and disinfect their halls regularly.

Low-risk means nearly all of China’s mainland now as only four sub-districts in Beijing were marked with a medium-risk alert as of yesterday, according to the State Council’s inquiry system.

Editor: Emmi Laine