Cineplex clarifies how new COVID-19 restrictions will affect their theatres

Cineplex is providing some clarity on how it plans to implement newly imposed capacity limits at its venues in Ontario.

The movie theatre company tells CityNews, as of Saturday, buildings that can accommodate over 1,000 guests will operate at 50 per cent capacity, in accordance with the restrictions released Wednesday by the province.

Locations that hold less than 1,000 will continue to operate at the same capacity, while those in areas of the province that have their own public health rules, like Kingston and Sudbury, will follow the restrictions laid out by the municipality.

Kingston introduced its own restrictions, including limits on social gatherings and restaurants, after multiple outbreaks at Queen’s University led to a spike in COVID-19 numbers.

Cineplex added anyone who bought advanced tickets to see the new film “Spiderman: No Way Home” will be accommodated even with the additional capacity limits.

They say some guests with reserved tickets may be moved to other seats or theatres when they arrive to see their movies. “We appreciate our guests’ patience and understanding as our local teams do their best to implement these new mandated changes under very tight timelines,” read a statement from a Cineplex spokesperson.

With files from Meredith Bond