Cinema photo | Inquirer.net
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is considering the reopening of cinemas in the city should the quarantine status of the city be reduced to a lower level.
Currently, the city is under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) until October 31, 2021, and the city hopes for at least a Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) by November 2021, or whatever its equivalent will be with the new Alert Level system.
Councilor Joel Garganera, deputy chief implementor of the EOC, said that cinemas had been closed for over a year now since the pandemic began and they had never been allowed to open since then.
This means that the industry surrounding cinemas including the moviehouses themselves, the food stalls in these movie houses, and other related trade has been gravely affected for more than a year now
Should cinemas reopen, Garganera said that only vaccinated individuals would most likely be allowed to enjoy the services. The seating capacity may also be reduced such that the movie-goers will be seated at an appropriate social distance.
“Sa una, amo na nang nawalk through ang mga sinehan. Naaproved na gyod to but then nisaka kalit ang cases mao na wala gyod ta kapa-open. Pero we are the same with NCR (National Capital Region), moubos sa atong quarantine status, moopen gyod ta,” said Garganera.
(At first, we had walk through with the cinemas. We approved it but then the cases went up again so they did not reopen. But we are the same with NCR (National Capital Region), if our quarantine status would be lowered, then they would reopen.)
The EOC is also confident that when cinemas open, malls will be ready because the malls have always shown excellent compliance to the health protocols in the city.
The councilor is hoping that the city can eventually open the cinemas to revive that particular aspect of the economy that affects various other industries.
“For the longest time they were closed. Mao na karon (that is why), we have to open up safely gyod,” he added.
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