Gov. Cuomo says NY movie theaters to remain closed indefinitely

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said New York movie theaters will remain closed for the foreseeable future, reversing an earlier decision to include cinematic venues in phase four of the state”™s business reopenings.

At a news conference today, the governor insisted that movie theaters did not meet the level of public health safety to operate at this time.

“It”™s the level of risk,” he said. “If you look at our metrics, we started with the most essential business that posed the least risk. And then it was the gradation to the least essential businesses that posed the most risk. I am sure there is a whole group of people who say, ”˜I cannot live without going to the movies.”™

“But on a relative risk scale,” he continued, “a movie theater is less essential and poses a high risk. It is congregant. It is one ventilation system. You are seated there for a long period of time. Even if you are at 50% capacity with one or two seats between the two of you, this is a risk situation and movie theaters are not that high on the list of essentials.”

Cuomo did not give an estimated timeline on when he would consider movie theaters to be safe for the general public. He noted that while New York gyms are slated to reopen on Aug. 24, he insisted gyms were safer than movie theaters.

“Who has the bible of essentials?” he asked. “Nobody. You can”™t go to the Bible to figure it out. We are saying, ”˜Yes, gyms for more New Yorkers are more essential than movie theaters.”™”

New Yorkers who want to see the new movies from Hollywood will have to come across the border to Connecticut, where the AMC chain is planning to reopen its AMC Danbury 16 on Aug. 20.