Sandusky's Cinemark to reopen Aug. 28

PERKINS TWP. — After closing more than five months ago, due to COVID-19 and Ohio's resulting stay-at-home order, Cinemark Stadium behind the Sandusky Mall will reopen Aug. 28. Cinemark's parent company announced on Friday a phased reopening of its properties in weekly installments. The first wave began on Friday. Previously, Cinemark indicated it would reopen theaters in June and then by July. "All theaters will reopen with enhanced clean(ing) and safety protocols," according to a company statement sent to the Register. Those protocols call for the following: • "Each auditorium will be extensively disinfected every morning and again between showtimes using pressurized sprayers with products identified by the EPA to be effective in eliminating COVID-19." • "Theaters will have staggered showtimes and limited capacities to maximize physical distancing." • "Seat-buffering technology will automatically block seats adjacent to a party upon ticket purchase." • "Face masks will be mandatory for all guests within the theater and may only be removed for eating and drinking in the auditoriums. • "Face masks and gloves will be required for all employees." • "Cinemark will refresh and replace cycles and utilizing supply fans to increase the total volume of fresh, outside air flowing into our theaters." • "Cinemark vacuums are equipped with special filters identified to be effective in trapping at least 99.97 percent of microscopic particles, including COVID-19." • "All public and high-touch spaces will be thoroughly sanitized every 30 minutes." • "Ample supplies of seat wipes and hand sanitizer will be available for customer use." • "Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets online and use contactless payment methods for a more contact-free experience. With that, cash payment options will be limited."