New rules for Pathé moviegoers as cinemas prepare to reopen

Pathé Nederland is set to reopen its doors to moviegoers from June 1, the cinema chain announced on Wednesday. According to a statement, visitors will be required to follow a set of new restrictions in order to minimize the risk of transmitting Covid-19.

The new rules will see a maximum of 30 visitors being restricted to each room, with Pathé employees assigning seats to each guest upon arrival. Film endings will also be staggered so that visitors from different cinemas do not have to cross one another's paths. Fewer freshly-made snacks will be available, with the company focusing more on sales of prepackaged items to reduce the risk of contamination.

"Despite the fact that a maximum of 30 people are allowed in a room, we expect that there will be enough capacity for you in June. Perhaps this is different at some peak times. So don't forget to think of us at times you were not used to. We are also doing our very best to offer you a good cinema experience," wrote Pathé CEO Jacques Hoendervangers to clients on Wednesday.

"We're doing this together. So be kind to one another," he added.

Pathé's new rules follow from last week's cabinet decision, which required that a maximum of thirty people including staff could congregate between June 1 and July 1, with the number being moved up to one hundred people.

While the large movie theater company will reopen its doors, it still was not clear how many smaller cinemas would open up to customers in June. The reduced capacity will make it hard for many to turn a profit, cinema association NVBF told Nu.nl.