Theaters Reopening In Los Angeles County With Limited Capacity
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- Following news of Los Angeles County moving toward the red tier which would allow movie theaters, among other businesses to reopen with limited capacity, AMC and Cinemark are ready to welcome patrons back.
Two flagship locations in Los Angeles, AMC Burbank 16 and AMC Century City 15, reopened on Monday afternoon.
AMC plans to open remaining theaters in L.A. County starting Friday, March 19 with enhanced learning and safety protocols in place including a mask requirement, physical distancing enforcement, cashless transactions and hand sanitizer available throughout facilities.
"On your next theatre visit, you'll notice that we've taken steps to reduce touch points and protect your safety, including simplified menus for shorter lines at concessions and reduced auditorium capacities for social distancing," AMC said on its website.
Cinemark started bringing back the cinematic experience on Saturday. More than 10 of its L.A.-area locations reopened by Monday, the company said in a written statement.
"All (Cinemark) theatres will reopen with enhanced cleaning and safety protocols... as well as Cinemark's fan-favorite Private Watch Parties and some of this year's newest films," Cinemark said in a statement.
Some of the safety protocols Cinemark has in place include disinfecting auditoriums, staggering showtimes, making face coverings mandatory and frequent sanitation of high-touch areas.
For a full list of theatre reopening dates and to purchase tickets, visit Cinemark.com and AMCTheatres.com.
In addition to movie theaters, the red tier gives permission for counties if they so choose to reopen indoor restaurant dining at 25% capacity, fitness centers at 10% capacity and museums at 25% capacity.
