Only 50 patrons will be allowed in each screening room when Ster Kinekor opens its movie theatres at the North Cape Mall next week.
STER-KINEKOR’s movie theatres at the North Cape Mall in Kimberley will reopen next Friday, on August 28 – but only 50 patrons will be allowed in each screening room.
According to Ster-Kinekor, patrons will no longer be able to purchase tickets and snacks at the cinema but are required to make all purchases online.
After each movie, guests will be required to leave the auditorium row by row, starting from the back.
Each cinema will be permitted to host 50 patrons per screening room at a time, excluding staff members, while complying with strict safety protocols. Patrons who are 60 years and older are discouraged from visiting cinemas.
A total of 32 Ster-Kinekor cinema complexes, including the one at the North Cape Mall, will open this month, while the remaining 21 cinemas are set to open on September 18.
“To limit contact, no transactions will take place in the cinema. Movie tickets and snacks must be booked through the Ster-Kinekor App or on our website. You will be sent a confirmation e-mail which you can print out or save onto your smartphone,” Ster-Kinekor said on its website.
Self-scan entries have been introduced, so patrons can scan their confirmation e-mail to gain admission before heading to the auditorium.
“All guests will be required to purchase their snacks online. Your confirmation e-mail can also be scanned at the concessions counter for collection.”
The maximum occupancy in each cinema will be limited as per government regulations to ensure safe social distancing whilst enjoying the movie.
“We will ensure that some seats and rows in the theatre are blocked and are not utilised to maintain safe social distancing.” Patrons will be seated between one and three seats apart.
Movie-goers will also be required to wear their face masks in the cinema foyer, although these can be removed once seated in the auditorium to eat their snacks.
The company stated further that it has adapted its screening schedule so that movies are more spread out across the day, meaning fewer guests in the foyer at any one time.
Screening times on Mondays to Thursdays will be from 2pm, with the last show finishing at 9pm, while on Fridays and Saturdays it will be from 12 noon with the last show finishing at 9pm.
Before the doors are opened, a misting device will be used to sanitise all screening rooms, lounge areas, foyers, hand railings and seats. There will also be temperature screening when entering the cinema foyer.
When the film ends, patrons will be required to exit the auditorium row-by-row starting from the back of the cinema.
“We’ve been getting ready to welcome patrons back to the cinema since the government’s announcement on the 6th July 2020. We have taken every step to ensure the safe return of our guests and staff to the cinema, with our staff having undergone extensive Covid-19 operations training,” said deputy CEO Motheo Matsau.
