Cineplex CEO Is Calling Ontario's Reopening Plan 'Absurd' & Says Ford Is 'Ignoring Facts'
"We are all losing the summer."
On Thursday, the Ontario government revealed its reopening plan. However, it seems that not everyone is happy about it.
Ellis Jacob, the president and CEO of Cineplex, slammed Ford's government for continuing to ban residents from returning to movie theatres, arguing that the business has proven to be low-risk.
"It is absurd – we are all losing the summer. Canadian cinemas have welcomed more than six million guests during the pandemic and there have been zero resulting cases of COVID-19 in Ontario, Canada, or the world," Jacob said.
The president also referenced the fact that theatres have been operating safely in Quebec since February by limiting capacity to 250 guests per auditorium.
"Based on what we heard today, cinemas will be locked down in Ontario longer than any other jurisdiction in the world, all due to a government that ignores the facts," he added.
Under Ontario's reopening plan, indoor cinemas will not be allowed to reopen until step three. However, drive-in theatres will be able to reopen in step one.