GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Almost 6 months after having to shut down, Celebration Cinemas throughout the state remain closed.
"On March 16 for the first time in our company's 75-year history, we shut everything down," says Emily Loeks with Studio C.
While other states have allowed residents to return to the cinema, Michigan is one of only four in the entire country to keep them closed.
"In Michigan, its our firm belief that movie theaters have been incorrectly aligned with phase five openings like multi-thousand person stadiums where large crowds all convene for a single event," explains Loeks.
On Thursday, Loeks joined Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss and others at Studio Park to call for the governor's approval to reopen theaters.
More than 300 theater chains across the country, including Studio C, have adopted a plan called CinemaSafe, following guidelines set by the centers for disease control and world health organization.
"It is in all of our interests to not be sloppy about this," says Loeks. "It is in all of our interests to get this right."
And so far in other areas, the plan is working.
"Movie theaters in 46 states have now opened and have not been identified as a source of spread," explains Loeks.
After Studio C furloughed nearly 95% of its staff, Loeks says a quarter of them have left to find other jobs, a major blow to the company.
"These are not easily replaceable cogs in a machine," she says. "These are the people who know how to make the magic happen."
Movie theaters are in phase five of the governor's reopen plan, the same as other businesses that are allowed to open like gyms and salons.
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