LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Movie theaters in Los Angeles County, the biggest movie-going market in the United States, could be allowed to open as early as Monday for the first time in a year, county officials said in new guidelines released on Thursday.
The news is expected to boost to the struggling theater business. Indoor cinemas in the county, the home of Hollywood, have been shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Theaters will be limited to 25% capacity in each auditorium as part of ongoing safeguards to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Los Angeles County Public Health Department said.
The exact timing of the reopenings depends on when the county qualifies for the “red tier” in the state’s coronavirus rankings. County officials said they expect to reach that mark between Monday and Wednesday.
Movie theaters in New York City, the second-largest movie-going region in the United States, opened their doors at 25% capacity on March 5.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Editing by Chris Reese and Matthew Lewis)
