China Reopens More Than 500 Cinemas as Coronavirus Threat Recedes
More than 500 cinema screens have reopened in China, where the coronavirus outbreak is seen to be receding, though box office takings remain minimal as the public is mostly staying away.
State media CGTN reported that 486 theaters were open for business on Friday. On Monday, financial publication Caixin said the number had risen to 507, representing less than 5% of all cinemas in commercial operation prior to the virus outbreak.
Data from private-sector ticketing firm Maoyan showed that venues had opened in five provinces: far-flung Xinjiang; Shangdong, a coastal province that lies between Beijing and Shanghai; southern, landlocked province Sichuan; and two populous coastal regions, Fujian and Guangdong, which border Hong Kong.
The data showed that nationwide revenue on Friday totalled less than $2,000. In Fujian and Guangdong, not a single ticket was sold.
On Monday, China reported no new local cases of the virus, but confirmed 39 infections brought in from overseas, and nine more deaths, all in Wuhan, where the virus had its epicenter. Wuhan has not registered any new cases of Covid-19 for five consecutive days.
—
Related:
City Sleeps: A Look At The Empty NYC Streets Amid The Virus – In Pictures
Around the world, daily life comes to a near-halt
Ethiopia enforces 14-day quarantine for all travelers
Diaspora Techies Launch Ethiopia COVID-19 Response Task Force Community
Amid COVID-19 Pandemic Hopeful & Inspiring Stories Shared by Obama
Pleas to Diaspora to Assist Coronavirus First Responders in Ethiopia
Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.