Cinema chains Odeon, Cineworld and Picturehouse have all announced they will be closing following government advice on the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
Yesterday (Monday 16 March) Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged people to avoid unnecessary social contact and to stay away from pubs, clubs, restaurants and theatres.
In a statement shared on Twitter, Odeon said: "Following government guidelines Odeon cinemas are closed until further notice.
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"If you have pre-booked tickets online, these will be refunded automatically. For any specific questions, please contact our Guest Services Centre.
"We look forward to welcoming you back soon."
Cineworld and Picturehouse announced it would be closing on Wednesday 18 March.
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A statement from Cineworld Group CEO Mooky Greidinger read: "At Cineworld and Picturehouse we are committed to providing safe and healthy environments for our employees and guests and have therefore made the difficult decision to close our cinemas in the UK and Ireland until further notice.
"We deeply value our cinema-loving customers and have no doubt we will be serving everyone again as soon as possible with a full slate of Hollywood blockbusters and the best of independent films and content."
It is not yet clear when the cinema chains will reopen.
The move comes after Johnson recommended stricter measures in the UK to help slow the spread of Covid-19.
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Speaking yesterday, Johnson said: "Now is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact with others and to stop all unnecessary travel. We need people to start working from home where they possibly can. And you should avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and other such social venues."
He went on to say the UK Government would no longer be 'supporting mass gatherings', explaining: "It remains true as we have said in the last few weeks that risks of transmission of the disease at mass gatherings such as sporting events are relatively low.
"But obviously, logically as we advise against unnecessary social contact of all kinds, it is right that we should extend this advice to mass gatherings as well."
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Featured Image Credit: PA
Topics: uk news, TV and Film, coronavirus
