Beijing partially reopened movie theaters Friday as thew new coronavirus declined in China’s capital.
Cinemas have been closed for around six months but began reopening this week in major cities throughout the country. While other theaters in parts of the city deemed at low risk of cross-infection began admitting moviegoers under social distancing rules.
Tickets must be booked in advance, attendance is capped at 30% of capacity and no eating or drinking is allowed during the show. As with most venues in China, a temperature check and online travel record were required for entry.
China reported just 21 new virus cases on Friday, six of them imported, with the rest in the Xinjiang region and Jilin province, the Associated Press reported.
Beijing has gone more than two weeks without any cases of local transmission, spurring authorities to lift many restrictions on activities.
China's domestic movie industry has also been generating major ticket sales while audiences have warmed to features from India and other foreign countries.
Movie poster designer Liu Jingyu managed to grab tickets for both Hollywood films shown at the Poly cinema.
“For us who make a living on movies and who are movie enthusiasts, without movies, our life is full of pain,” Liu said.
