COVID-19 fear keeps moviegoers away; only 7% people willing to visit cinema halls

The coronavirus pandemic coerced us all to stay indoors for months. The scare is far from over, however people are now getting back to their normal lives, accepting that there isn't much that can be done except taking precautions and waiting for a promising vaccine.

Sadly, for many businesses, recovery is further down the line. Theatres and cinema halls have suffered massive losses due to the virus. Seven months after cinema halls were reopened in a few states, cinema goers are in a scanty. A survey conducted by LocalCircles planned on finding out if citizens are willing to visit movie theatres in the next 2 months. The results are rather disappointing for cinema halls as only 7% customers are willing to step out to watch a movie.

74% consumers had said that they will not go to theatres or multiplexes when they open, given the COVID scenario. The survey found that only 4 per cent people said they would go to watch if there are any new releases and 3 per cent said they will go regardless of any new or old movie.

While states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat have allowed cinema halls to function with necessary precautions, many others like Maharashtra, Telangana and Kerala have kept them shut.

Cinema halls claim to have taken various measures to ensure safety, such as sanitation of the premises and other COVID-19 safety protocols. However, all this might be in vain at least for now as confidence runs low among customers. Let's see how long till we get back to our old ways.

Also read: Unlock 5.0: Old films at new ticket prices; PVR to reopen with last year's hits

ALSO READ: 83, Wonder Woman, Tenet: 7 films that will hit cinemas after Oct 15