Film house and Genesis, two cinema exhibitors have temporarily shut down operations in Lagos. The move complies with the state, and federal government’s directives to help fight the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Filmhouse said in a statement released on Sunday; announcing the closure “to ensure the maximum safety of our guests and staff.”
“In response to State Governments advice concerning the spread of #covid_19 we are temporarily closing all our Lagos cinemas. To ensure maximum safety of all our guests and staff.”
Film house isn’t the only chain that announced the shutting down of its operations as the company grapples with the pandemic. Genesis cinemas also released a statement to this effect.
Genesis cinemas wrote, “In the light of the latest development with the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), we are taking precautionary measures to suspend all operations at our LAGOS sites effective immediately”.
It’s a scary time for the entertainment industry, one that has led to several movies being delayed, similarly, Nollywood’s first-ever collaboration with Bollywood has been halted.
So far, Nigeria just recorded its first death from coronavirus.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed the death in its update on the virus on Monday.