China begins to reopen cinemas ‘in low-risk areas’ after 6-month closure

Some cinemas in Chinese cities from Shanghai to Chengdu reopened on Monday after a six-month closure. Authorities last week said they would allow movie theaters in low-risk areas to resume operations in a restricted fashion.

Since March, coronavirus infections have declined sharply, and most of the country is now categorized as low-risk. In the past few days, however, parts of Urumqi, the capital of China’s far-western region of Xinjiang, have been classified as medium to high risk, due to a fresh outbreak, Reuters reports.

Many cities kept their cinemas shut on Monday, as Beijing said it would leave the final decision as to whether to open up to local authorities.