A major Irish cinema chain is considering holding 'vaccine-only' screenings when they're allowed to reopen.
The Omniplex group - which operates around 30 cinemas across the Republic and the North - says the screenings would happen alongside the socially-distanced screenings that have become the norm during the pandemic.
Cinemas in Ireland have remained closed since Christmas Eve, with no date yet for when they might be allowed to start selling tickets again.
In the UK, the government has given a provisional date of May 17th for cinemas to start reopening.
A major backlog of blockbuster films has also built up, with studios currently planning to start releasing some of their biggest films again from the early summer.
The Guardian last week reported that the UK's Curzon cinema arthouse chain was considering offering screenings 'reserved exclusively for customers who have proof of a COVID-19 vaccine'.
Omniplex Cinema's Mark Anderson told Lunchtime Live that's something they'd certainly consider.
He explained: “Everyone would be allowed go to the cinema. When we do reopen - whenever that date is - we will be under strict social distancing guidelines.
“But if there are different social distancing rules for people who have been vaccinated, it means we could get back to full cinema screens in a safe fashion.
“It all depends on whether people are vaccinated still have to socially distance. If they don’t have to socially distance, then there’s a big business decision cinemas and other indoor activities will have to consider.”
During the brief periods when they were allowed to reopen in 2020, cinemas were down to 25-30% capacity due to social distancing requirements.
Most cinemas introduced booking systems that guaranteed two-metre space between different viewers, while customers were required to wear masks when not in their seats.
Mr Anderson suggested such measures have made cinema one of the safest indoor activities during the pandemic.
He said: “It’s not to say the right time to reopen cinemas is today, but at some point in the future we’re going to have to contemplate that everyone - whether they’re vaccinated or not - will have the right to go to the cinema.
“If a cinema can fill four times as many people into a vaccinated screening… a four-fold increase in turnover is certainly something worth considering.”
He stressed that social distancing would be maintained in every other part of the cinema, and customers would have the choice of which screening to attend.
He also added they would follow any legal guidance on whether vaccine status would be considered grounds for discrimination.
