The National Association of Theater Owners of NYS, state legislators, local officials and movie theater owners held a rally on Thursday calling for the state to allow movie theaters to reopen.
MALLS... SALONS...EVEN BOWLIALLEYS... ARE NOWBACK OPEN FORBUSINESS.AND ON MONDAY,GYMS WILL FINALLYJOIN THAT LIST.BUT MOVIETHEATERS... REMAINDARK...AND SOME OWNERSTELL 7 EYEWITNESSNEWS REPORTER ALAERREBHI... THEY FEELLIKE A FORGOTTENAUDIENCE.TRT = 1:57:15:421:15CUTLINE: RALLYCALLING ONT STATETO REOPEN THEATERSOUTCUE: STANDARD.PKG:OVER THE PAST FIVEMONTHS, THE AURORATHEATERS MARQUEELIGHTS REMAINEDTURNED OFF -- SAVEFOR A FEW PRIVATEEVENTS.ON THURSDAY, THEYWERE TURNED ONONCE AGAIN -- NOTBECAUSE THETHEATER WASREOPENING, BUT FORA RALLY TO CALL ONNEW YORK STATE TOALLOW THEM TOREOPEN."ON MARCH 16 THETWINKLING LIGHTS OFTHE MARQUEE WERETURNED OFF, ANDOUR SCREEN WENTDARK.
WITHOUTQUESTION WE CANOPEN SAFELY JUST ASOTHER THEATERSHAVE IN 42 OTHERSTATES."ACCORDING TO THENATIONALASSOCIATION OFTHEATER OWNERS OFNEW YORK, MORETHAN 10-THOUSANDFULL AND PART-TIMEMOVIE THEATEREMPLOYEES WERELAID OFF ORFURLOUGHED SINCETHE PANDEMIC BEGAN.MOVIE THEATEROWNERS SAY THEYBELIEVE THEY CANREOPEN SAFELY JUSTAS MALLS,RESTAURANTS ANDGYMS WERE ABLE TO."I DON'T WANT TO SEETHE PEOPLE WEEMPLOYUNEMPLOYED.
NOT TOMENTION THESURROUNDINGBUSINESSES THAT AREAFFECTED AS WELL,"SCOTT TREUTLEIN ISTHE OWNER OFSPOTLIGHT THEATERSAND IS ALSO APHYSICIAN IN WARSAWAND BATAVIA."I'VE BEEN THROUGHTHE WHOLE COVIDTHING FROM DAY ONEIN HOSPITALS, AND I'MWELL AWARE OFEVERYTHING THATWE'VE LEARNED ANDSEEN OVER THESELAST FEW MONTHS.AND I WOULDN'T BESTANDING HERETODAY TRYING TO GETTHESE THEATERSREOPENED IF I DIDN'TTRULY BELIEVE 100PERCENT THAT IT WASSAFE."THERE WERE ALSOCONCERNS THAT AMOVIE THEATER ONLYHAS ONECONDITIONINGSYSTEM."EACH AUDITORIUMHAS ITS OWNSEPARATE SYSTEM, ASDO PROJECTIONBOOTHS, LOBBIES ANDRESTROOMS. WE'VECOMMITTED TOPUTTING IN THEPROPER MERV RATEDFILTERS TO ENSURETHAT OURCUSTOMERS REMAINSAFE."THE NATIONALASSOCATION OFTHEATER OWNERSHAS PUT TOGETHER APROPOSEDREOPENING PLANWITH SAFETYGUIDELINES FOR THESTATE.
THEY SAY THECONSEQUENCES OFNOT REOPENINGCOULD MEAN LOCALTHEATERS LIKE THEAURORA THEATERCOULD NEVERREOPEN.A LONG-TERM EFFECT,MASHER SAYS, WOULDBE THAT THE REST OFTHE 2020 CALENDARRELEASES WILL BEWIPED OFF THESCHEDULE...A MAJORBLOW TO NEW YORKSINCE IT'S ONE OF THEMAJOR MARKETS FORMOVIE RELEASES.WHILE MANY HAVEWATCHED COUNTLESSMOVIES AT HOMEOVER THE LAST FEWMONTHS, MOVIETHEATER OWNERSSAY IT DOESN'TCOMPARE TO THEEXPERIENCE OFGOING TO THE MOVIESWITH FRIENDS ANDFAMILY, THE SMELL OFFRESH POPCORN ANDWATCHING A MOVIE ONTHE BIG SCREEN.IN EAST AURORA, ALAERREBHI, 7 EWN.WE'RE HIGHLIGHTINGTHE WAYS WESTERNNEW YORKERS AREEMBRACING THEBUFFALO STRONGSPIRIT...A BUFFALO WOMAN ISWE'RE HIGHLIGH
Movie theaters have been hit hard during the COVID 19 Pandemic – including the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville.
State shutdowns and fear of spreading coronavirus sparked new life into drive-in movie theaters across the nation and theater..
