With cinemas shutting down throughout California and New York City, Regal Cinemas is shutting down all of its locations across the country. The shutdown begins Tuesday with all the company's 543 locations closing their doors temporarily. Regal has not said how long the closure will last.

The closures come as President Trump and his team recommend that people avoid gatherings of more than 10 people amidst the growing outbreak, Politico noted. AMC, Regal, and other theater chains started out staggering seating in auditoriums to help people from coming into contact with each other during movies.

The theater management were also taking extra measures like disinfecting theaters. Now with the government declaration, things have taken a serious turn for the worse.

Regal becomes the first theater to close their doors in response to coronavirus

Regal has become the second-largest theater chain in the United States. Now that Regal has closed its doors, it's expected that other chains will follow suit and close their doors as well. The same thing happened in China, as their theaters have already been closed for weeks now. Governments in Europe and Asia closed down cinemas to slow down the spread of the coronavirus. Regal CEO Mooky Greidinger released a statement saying that they are focused on providing a safe and healthy environment for both employees and guests.

They hope to be back soon with a full slate of Hollywood blockbusters.

This will definitely deliver a massive blow to the entertainment industry, which is already been hit hard. Global box office numbers have plummeted in recent weeks, with those past weekend's box office numbers reaching a 20-year low. An increased number of blockbuster releases have been delayed.

"No Time to Die," "A Quiet Place: Part II," "Mulan," "The New Mutants," and "The Lovebirds," have all been pushed back. The theater closings could force studio executives who were resisting.

Regal and others are facing massive financial disasters

Theater chains have seen their stock prices plummet in recent weeks. These closures are rumored to be getting even worse.

Universal just announced that it will be making their new releases including "The Invisible Man," "The Hunt," and "Emma," would be made available to rent on-demand for $19.99. Regal's decision to close their doors could convince others to make similar moves.

Alamo Drafthouse also announced that they would be closing all but one of their locations in the U.S. They released a statement on their website announcing their closure and will reopen in an industry that has been shaken to its core. Theater chains have tried multiple ways to stay open by adjusting their protocols.
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