Adebayo Abdulrahman
As part of measures to curtail the spread of Coronavirus pandemic also known as COVID-19, the management of three major Nigerian cinema exhibitors namely, Filmhouse, Silverbird, and Genesis have temporarily shut down all operations in Oyo state and other parts of the country.
This decision is in line with the directive of the federal government that restricts large gathering of people in all parts of the country to curb the spread of a pandemic that has killed thousands globally.
In a statement released by the management of FilmhouseCinemas to announce the closure of all its branches across the country including its two outlets located at Ventura, and Heritage Mall in Ibadan – the Oyo State capital, it stated that the decision was made to ensure the maximum safety of guests and staff.
“In response to state government advice concerning the spread of COVID-19. We are temporarily closing all of our Lagos cinemas to ensure the maximum safety of our guests and staff,
“We look forward to welcoming you with the best possible cinema experience as soon as things return to normal.
“In the meantime, continue to follow the recommended guidelines for hygiene and social distancing in order to keep yourself, family, and friends safe and healthy.” their statement read.
In a statement to announce the suspension of its own operations, the management of Genesis Cinemas wrote, “We’ve been monitoring the developments with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). At Genesis Cinemas, our top priority is the health and safety of our customers and team members.
“In the light of the most recent information available, we are taking precautionary measures to temporarily suspend all operations at our Lagos sites effective immediately.”
Similarly, the management of Ben Bruce-owned cinema chain, Silverbird, has announced the temporary closure of all its Cinema outlets across the country because of the coronavirus pandemic.
A statement on the official twitter account of the cinema read, “To all our customers. Your health and safety are our number one priority. In order to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the management of Silverbird Cinemas has decided to shut down operations temporarily in all our cinema locations across Nigeria”.
As at the time of writing this report, the country has 40 confirmed cases of coronavirus and one death. Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to the President, Muhammadu Buhari is the most prominent individual confirmed to have been infected.
