SINGAPORE — Of late, moviegoers may have noticed empty seats between them and other patrons in cinemas. Those buying tickets online may have also been prevented from booking seats next to other patrons.  

Cinema operators here have enforced gaps between patrons during the Covid-19 pandemic, after a government advisory last week called on entertainment venues to limit visitors and increase spacing between customers.

Most moviegoers told TODAY that they were reassured by the precautions, although one voiced concern about being in an enclosed space with unwell patrons.

At Singapore’s largest cinema chain Golden Village (GV), which operates 14 cinemas, its booking system blocks off neighbouring seats when customers buy tickets online or at its automated ticketing machines.

This applies on a per-booking basis, so patrons may still sit with their companions, but the system will leave a gap between other patrons or groups.  

A GV spokesperson told TODAY that the compulsory seat gaps between customers were in line with the Government’s social distancing guidelines that recommend patrons be seated at least a metre apart.

Social distancing is a public health practice that seeks to limit contact between people who are ill and those who are well.

GV had a longstanding policy whereby patrons were not allowed to leave a one-seat gap when booking seats. This has been lifted, it said, to encourage users to reduce contact with other moviegoers.

At Shaw Theatres, the system leaves a gap of at least two seats between every two or three seats and this has been set up since Monday (March 16).

It has nine cinemas here, two of which are being renovated. 

Since the middle of last month, it has reduced screenings at its theatres, so that more time can be set aside between sessions for the thorough cleaning of its cinema halls. 

The Asian Film Archive's Oldham Theatre at Fort Canning Rise said it has cancelled all programmes this month as a precaution.

It added that it would reduce the number of seats sold for screenings and events from next month to ensure “sufficient distance between seats”. Its maximum capacity would be lowered from 132 to 90 seats.

Independent cinema EagleWings Cinematics at King Albert Park in the Bukit Timah estate told TODAY that it published a social distancing guide on Tuesday on its social media channels, urging customers who are booking tickets online to leave a space between them and other patrons.

It said that its "classic" halls, which seat 60, are holding a maximum of 30 to 40 patrons now.  

Cathay Cineplexes, which runs eight theatres, said in a notice posted to Facebook on Wednesday that it had started reducing the number of seats sold in each hall. It also strongly encouraged moviegoers to leave at least a two-seat gap from other patrons.

Based on TODAY’s checks on Thursday, the websites of Cathay Cineplexes and EagleWings Cinematics still allowed patrons to book seats beside those that were already sold to others.

The Projector, an independent cinema on Beach Road that offers free seating for ticketed films, has also published a Covid-19 advisory on its website, telling patrons that it has capped ticket sales at all its cinema halls for social distancing. 

Filmgarde Cineplexes, which has three cinemas, has not enforced seat gaps, its website showed on Thursday. 

Cathay Cineplexes, The Projector and Filmgarde Cineplexes did not immediately respond to TODAY’s queries.

MOST MOVIEGOERS REASSURED BY PRECAUTIONS

One moviegoer interviewed by TODAY was concerned about being in an enclosed space with people who are unwell, but others were largely reassured by the precautions in place.

Mr Russ Hoe, an English literature undergraduate at the National University of Singapore (NUS), watches movies twice or thrice a month.

The 25-year-old said when he watched the war film 1917 last month, other moviegoers in the hall were coughing without having surgical masks on.

But he was confident in Singapore’s ability to handle the health crisis, saying that the precautions were more than adequate to assure him that it is safe to continue going to a cinema.

“As long as we stay responsible, keep healthy and hygienic, and maintain social distance, then I do not think it will be too much of a problem,” Mr Hoe said.

Chemical engineering undergraduate Aditya Poruri, who is also at NUS, said that his family has been going to the cinemas almost weekly for years, and would continue doing so.

“I personally do not feel the need to be afraid because I am following all the proper hygiene measures,” the 24-year-old said.

Secondary school teacher Brandon Chai, 28, said that he has visited a cinema on at least five occasions since early February.  

“I do not feel that there is cause for concern, because everytime I go to a cinema, there are precautions in place like temperature screening, frequent cleaning,” he said. 

Mr Eternality Tan, 31, a film educator, said that he has been going out less often because of Covid-19, but he would still head to a cinema for films that interest him.

Mr Tan, who is also programming director at the Singapore Film Society, noted that there would be delays in the release of Hollywood blockbusters slated for this month, such as A Quiet Place II and Disney’s Mulan remake. This could mean that he would visit cinemas less in the near future.

He also observed that fewer people were mingling near box offices and cinema foyers.

On whether business has been hit, GV’s spokesperson said: “While this is a difficult period, our highest priority at the moment is the safety and well-being of our customers and employees.”

The spokesperson added: “The cinema industry has been around for more than a century, and we expect to weather this storm and emerge stronger.”