The global coronavirus pandemic continues to be a concern for film and entertainment industries not just in the United States but around the world as well. The most recent casualty is in Hong Kong cinemas, which will be closing again due to another COVID-19 wave.
Deadline reports that the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections has prompted the Hong Kong government to once again impose restrictions on its people. The publication says that Hong Kong has seen its infections rise to 82 cases, which is an increase of 76 infections from the previous report.
This will be the third time that cinemas in Hong Kong have been asked to close. Cinemas closed back in March at the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic, reopening only in May. Another closure happened in July, with reopening for that closure happening in May. This latest closure is expected to last for two weeks.
In Hong Kong, cinema closures mirror the situation in California, which have also had to reclose its theaters last month as COVID-19 cases have risen again in the state. Sacramento and San Diego, where most of the closure will be happening, have been reclassified in the higher purple tier.
Before being classified in the purple tier, San Diego and Sacramento were in the lower red tier, which allowed theaters to operate. However, the venues could only operate at 25 percent of their normal capacity.
Aside from cinemas' closure, the Hong Kong government also has amusement and public entertainment venues, game centers, swimming pools, and mahjong halls. Live entertainment venues will be allowed to stay open only if they do not have audiences. The last restriction comes after dancing, and singing venues started a “super-spreader” cluster.
As reported by Screenrant, Hong Kong had already ordered Hong Kong Disneyland's closure earlier as part of its preventative efforts. Just like Hong Kong cinemas, this will be the third time this year that Hong Kong Disneyland will be closing. It first closed down in January. The theme park reopened for a short time in June before being asked to close again in July.
Hong Kong Disneyland joins other Disney theme parks that have had to close because of the global coronavirus pandemic. Disneyland Paris and California’s Disneyland are both still closed, while Tokyo Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland, and Walt Disney World in Orlando have reopened with safety precautions in place.
Figures from the World Health Organization do not paint a pretty picture, as it looks like the global coronavirus pandemic will continue to affect these industries even in the coming year. According to the Dec. 2 update from the organization’s COVID-19 dashboard, there are now 63,360,234 confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide. The number of deaths is now at 1,475,825 people.