Following his request for all Kentucky restaurants to close to in-person dining services, Governor Beshear requested a new order for all “public facing” businesses that cannot comply with social distancing to close. This list includes movie theaters.
AMC Theatres, with one location in Lexington on Mapleleaf Drive, released the statement, “In compliance with local, state, and federal COVID-19 directives, all AMCTheatres locations are now closed for at least 6-12 weeks.”
Cinemark Fayette Mall reported “All of our theatres will be temporarily closed as of Wednesday, March 18, in order to ensure the health & safety of our guests and employees.”
The Kentucky Theater announced on their Facebook page, “As COVID-19 continues to threaten the health of our patrons and staff, we strongly support Governor Beshear’s actions to suppress the spread of the virus. Therefore, we are complying with his request to temporarily close the Kentucky Theatre as of the end of day March 17.”
Regal Hamburg Pavilion announced “closure of all theatre locations starting Tuesday, March 17, 2020, as a precaution amid the current circumstances. All theatres will remain closed until further notice.”
There may not be access to movie theaters for the time being, but you’ll still be able to have access to recent theater releases from home.
A recent announcement from Jeff Shell, CEO, NBCUniversal reported “Universal Pictures will make its movies available in the home on the same day as their global theatrical releases, as current circumstances have made it more challenging to view our films.”
Starting on Friday, March 20, for the price of $20, online stores including iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, and select cable systems will offer already released films for a 48-hour rental period in homes.
The films available:
- “The Hunt,” a horror satire that arrived in theaters last weekend
- “The Invisible Man,” in theaters since Feb. 20
- “Emma,” a new take on the classic Jane Austen novel in theaters since March 6
- On April 10, “Trolls World Tour” comes to theaters (that are open) but will be simultaneously available for rental in homes for $20
Effective on March 18, 2020 at 5 pm, “all public-facing businesses that encourage congregation and meeting in public places.”
Besides movie theaters, this list includes basically any venue that falls into the “entertainment” category; including concert venues, sporting event facilities, as well as nail and hair salons, gyms and exercise facilities.
Governor Beshear will allow businesses that provide food, retail, grocery, pharmacy, auto repair, banks, public transportation, and hotels to stay open. They are subject to limitations provided in prior orders and must follow CDC guidance.
Here’s a list of What’s open, what’s closed, what’s closing for coronavirus in Lexington.
We’ve also compiled a sampling of local restaurants and businesses offering take out and delivery during the statewide in-person dining ban.
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