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Home / Entertainment

Coronavirus: Event Cinemas to close all movie theatres from today

NZ Herald
22 Mar, 2020 11:16 PM2 mins to read

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New Zealand has 36 new confirmed cases of coronavirus today. This takes the total number of cases in this country to 102. Over half of them are directly linked to overseas travel - people who have returned to New Zealand recently.

All movie theatres are to be shut down because of the ongoing coronavirus situation in New Zealand.

Event Cinemas has announced that all its theatres, including the Embassy Theatre in Wellington and Rialto Cinemas, will be closed temporarily from today until further notice.

Event Cinemas NZ spokeswoman, Carmen Switzer, said: "The impact of coronavirus is unprecedented and we could no longer guarantee the safety and well-being of our staff and customers - which has always been our first priority.

All Event Cinemas are to close from today due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation. Image / Google
All Event Cinemas are to close from today due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation. Image / Google

"We are committed to working openly and honestly with our people during this time; supporting them in the best way we can."

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READ MORE:
• Coronavirus: London, UK in lockdown, NZ venues shut as global deaths pass 10,000
• Coronavirus: PM Jacinda Ardern outlines NZ's new alert system, over-70s should stay at home
• Covid 19 coronavirus: Cancer patient pleads for public help stemming Covid-19 to save her life
• Coronavirus - what you need to know: Latest updates and essential information

It was not yet clear when cinemas would be re-opened.

However, Switzer said they were looking forward to re-opening at some point with a strong blockbuster film line-up and returning to employing staff in local communities it operated theatres in.

Anyone who purchased tickets during the closure period will be given an automatic refund and an email, she said.

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The announcement comes after the same move was made by other countries - including US, which has shut down movie theatre chains around the country.

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