UTAH, March 17, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Cinemark announced Tuesday afternoon that its movie theaters would close in Utah and nationwide in hopes of slowing the spread of COVID-19. AMC made a similar announcement hours earlier.
“The entire Cinemark team cares deeply about our guests, employees and communities, and we have made the incredibly difficult decision to close our U.S. theatres to ensure we are playing our part to slow the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19),” the Cinemark statement says.
“Each of our theatres will be closed beginning Wednesday, March 18, until we believe it is safe to once again welcome moviegoers to our auditoriums.”
Cinemark Movie rewards points will have their expiration dates extended to June 30 of this year. Fees for Movie Club memberships will be paused while theaters are closed, the statement says.
Advance tickets purchased online will be refunded within five to seven days, the statement says. Advance tickets purchased at a Cinemark box office can be refunded by filling out a request at www.cinemark.com/contact-us.
“Cinemark will continue to follow guidance from local and national governmental health organizations, and we will continue to share updates as we have them at www.cinemark.com.”
The chain also said it would continue to support its employees “to the best of our abilities as we navigate through this most turbulent time. I am thankful for the unwavering dedication of our Cinemark employees, as well as your trust and support.”
Cinemark has at least a dozen theaters along the Wasatch Front.
AMC announced the temporary closure of its theaters a few hours earlier.
“All AMC theatres are temporarily closed in accordance with local and federal guidelines,” says the statement, issued on the business’s website. “They will re-open when those guidelines allow.”
The chain also allows customers to pay to view some films on personal electronic devices. For details, see the website.
