Cinema operators are pleased with the announcement that unvaccinated children under 12 would be allowed into safe zones once they are accompanied by vaccinated parents and guardians. They are anticipating an increase in audiences.
CinemaOne CEO Ingrid Jahra said she thought there would be a bump in business.
“Families have kept away as they cannot come out together.
"So far my regulars are very happy and booking out rooms for the family. I would know better on the weekend how it affects the occupancy. It may not affect it adversely, as the mandatory social distancing and 50 per cent occupancy are still in place.
"The rating of a movie is also a gatekeeper of unvaccinated children attending a movie.”
Jahra said achieveing the 50 per cent vaccination rate of the eligible population was also good timing.
MovieTowne executive manager Amrita Baboolal said the organisation was happy about the announcement.
“It offers children the much-needed relief of being able to visit public places for entertainment once again. We believe that it is very important for them, as they have been restricted to their homes for numerous months, which has likely put a strain on their mental state due to the inability to visit different environments.”
She said MovieTowne anticipated an increase in customers, as there were numerous children’s movies carded for release in 2022.
“These include The Batman next week and Fantastic Beasts in the upcoming months. Therefore the children will have movies to look forward to during their Easter vacation.”
Baboolal said parents would be more willing to bring their children to cinemas now, especially as they remained at 50 per cent capacity, regulations were followed, and the facilities were well sanitised.
“There is data to support that children under 12 have strong immune systems, and therefore are usually less affected and susceptible to the covid19 virus. As a result of us following the protocols, we believe that we are doing our best to ensure a safe environment for our customers. Therefore there is no reason for them to refrain from visiting.”
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