AMC Theatres in the US have reversed their re-opening policy to make it mandatory that cinema-goers have to wear masks once their cinemas re-open.
On Thursday (June 18), AMC announced it would reopen 450 of its cinemas in the US on July 15 with a number of precautions to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. However, mask wearing was not a mandatory requirement for cinema-goers, only cinema workers.
Speaking to Variety about the re-opening, AMC CEO Adam Aron said: “It might be counterproductive if we forced mask wearing on those people who believe strongly that it is not necessary.”
Adding that he thought “the vast majority” of cinema-goers would wear masks, he said he didn’t want to make it obligatory because they didn’t want “to be drawn into a political controversy.”