Is the Movie Theater Open in NC?

Movie Theater|Theater

The movie theater industry has been hit hard during the pandemic. With COVID-19 restrictions in place, many theaters have had to remain closed or reduce their capacity significantly.

North Carolina is no exception, and there are currently restrictions in place that affect the reopening of movie theaters across the state.

In March 2020, Governor Roy Cooper issued a statewide executive order that mandated all non-essential businesses close indefinitely. This included movie theaters, as movies are classified as entertainment and not essential services.

Since then, the state has slowly reopened certain businesses and allowed them to operate at a reduced capacity. Movie theaters were allowed to reopen with pandemic safety protocols in place at the end of June 2020. This included limiting seating to 40% occupancy, mandating that patrons wear face coverings while inside the theater, and limiting concessions sales.

In November 2020, Governor Cooper introduced a tiered system for reopening businesses in North Carolina. This system was based on county-level data related to COVID-19 cases, hospitalization rates, and other factors. Counties with lower levels of risk were allowed to open businesses at 75% capacity instead of 40%.

At this time, all counties in North Carolina are in Tier 2 or 3 of the reopening system. This means that movie theaters can operate at either 40% or 75% occupancy depending on their county’s risk level. Face coverings are still required for patrons inside the theater and concession sales are still limited.

Conclusion:

Yes, movie theaters are open in North Carolina but they must adhere to certain safety protocols such as reduced capacities and face covering requirements. Counties with lower levels of risk can open at up to 75% capacity while other counties must remain at 40%.