Filmgarde Cinemas To Suspend Operations Till 31 May
Under the new regulations set by the Government in the ‘Heightened Alert‘ phase, movie cinemas will still be able to operate albeit under a stricter set of rules.
While most cinema chains have not made claims to pause their operations, Filmgarde has closed all their outlets at least till 31 May.
The outlets include the ones located at Century Square, Bugis+, and Leisure Park Kallang.
Filmgarde to close temporarily from 18 May
Filmgarde Cineplexes announced the closure via a Facebook post on Monday (17 May).
Director Mr Sherman Ong told The Straits Time (ST) that the new Covid-19 safety measures imposed alongside market factors have taken a toll on “box-office takings”.
He explained that these factors include a delay in initial release dates for major anticipated films such as “Fast & Furious 9”.
In addition, Hollywood has slowly gravitated towards releasing its movies online due to Covid-19. As result, this has created a difficult and unstable environment for the industry.
Staff will receive salaries & customers can get refunds
According to ST, Mr Ong emphasised in his statement that Filmgarde’s staff will continue to receive their salaries despite the cinemas’ temporary closure.
The company reportedly hopes that the break will help protect their frontline staff who have been working tirelessly.
As for customers who’ve bought tickets past 18 May, they may write in to marketing@filmgarde.com.sg to ask for a refund.
Hope Filmgarde will emerge stronger
Despite being one of the smaller players in the cinema industry here, we commend Filmgarde for taking a huge step towards ensuring public safety.
Covid-19 has undeniably taken a huge toll on businesses. However, we hope that Filmgarde will be able to overcome this hurdle and emerge stronger.
Perhaps this serves as a timelier than ever reminder for us to stay home, and watch TV with our loved ones.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps.
