New retrictions leave cinema operators disappointed

MOMENTS after the announcement of new restrictions including the ban on in-house dining at restaurants, casinos, and cinemas, MovieTowne announced its decision to close all of its cinemas for the three-week duration of the new restrictions.

In a release posted on its Facebook page, MovieTowne said a reopening date will be announced in a subsequent post.

“We therefore ask that you follow the advice and guidelines issued by Government, maintain social distancing, minimise risk exposure, and observe the mandatory hygienic practices,” the MovieTowne release said.

Ingrid Jahra, CEO of CinemaONE which manages IMAX Trinidad and Tobago said the cinema will remain open and comply with the changes to the Public Health Ordinance. She said while she is disappointed by the news, the company supports the changes and hopes the infection rate returns to a manageable and acceptable level.

“It’s a frustrating situation and not a very good situation for us in the business community, not only in cinemas and entertainment but for restaurants and all those social types of business,” Jahra said.

For his part, MovieTowne owner Derek Chin told Newsday he was disappointed that Government had failed to be proactive.

He said 400 employees will be affected. “Having been through since November where we re-opened and were trying to make things happen, slowly but surely, holding things together – with a lot of those staff on furlough and rotation – they’re the ones who are now going to be more affected than anything else.”

He believes the spike in covid19 cases could have been avoided if Government placed restrictions on the free movement of people especially at beaches during the Easter weekend.

He said the real concern now, lies in the fallout from the over 50,000 people who moved between Trinidad and Tobago on that weekend and the many thousands who found themselves on the beach.

Chin said it’s important that Government clearly explain the restrictions on in-house dining. “I’m not sure if they’re allowing us to have food, but with the fact that they said no in-house dining...we’re not a restaurant, we don’t have in-house dining.

“We have snacks like popcorn so I don’t know how to interpret it. The fact that you categorise cinemas as in-house dining gives me the impression that it means there was no selling of food. This makes it very uneconomical for us because most of all, our businesses are made on the concession…So we’re still working with our attorneys to see exactly what is the wording,” he said.