Media council directs century cinema to close

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  The Media Council of Uganda has directed Century Cinemax at Acacia Mall to close, a week after reopening.

The cinema reopened on Friday last week and has been operating with half of its capacity as a measure to ensure physical distancing. It can accommodate a total of 780 people in the four cinema halls.

According to the management of the cinema, they had opened in consultation with the government but also following the standard operation procedures (SOPs) issued by Knight Frank, the real estate agency in charge of the mall.

But in a letter dated June 11th signed by Paulo Ekochu, the Chairman Uganda media council addressed to Satish Guna, the Manager Century Cinemax, it has come to the attention of the media council that the Cinema halls have opened or are planning to open their businesses and commence screening of films to the Public.

Ekochu says that whereas the council sympathizes with the cinema as a business in the plight of the current situation, public safety must be considered first.

Ekochu says the council is mindful that all the cinemas are situated in shopping malls which have been permitted to open in line with the standard operating procedures, but after consultations with the Ministry of Health, and with due regard to public health (Control of COVID-19 Amendment) rules 2020, bars and Cinema halls have not yet been permitted to open.

“You are therefore hereby directed not to open your cinemas and or screen films to the public until such times that the regulations lift the ban and you receive written permission from the responsible minister under the cited regulations or directives from H.E the President of Uganda,”Ekochu says.

Although the Cinema, one of the most popular ones opened, two other Cinemas, Ham Cinema located at Ham shopping mall, NUMAX Cinema located at Victoria Mall in Entebbe had not announced plans to open.

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