Welcome ... back? Despite lifted COVID-19 restrictions, many venues remained closed Wednesday
Though several types of indoor entertainment and recreational venues were cleared to reopen in Ohio Wednesday, many local spots remained shuttered.
Sectors cleared by state officials to resume business Wednesday included indoor movie theaters, art galleries, museums, trampoline parks and other indoor recreational facilities.
But both Cinemark Tinseltown in Boardman’s Southern Park Mall complex and Regal Cinemas’ Boulevard Centre theater in Niles’ Eastwood Mall complex remained closed Wednesday, as major theater chains prepare to begin reopening, or unveil reopening plans in the coming weeks.
Cinemark — which lost about $90 million in Q1 earnings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a June 3 earnings call — is preparing a phased reopening starting in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Tx. market.
Theater spokesperson Caitlin Piper couldn’t say when Boardman’s Tinseltown theater would reopen, but said a reopening plan would be released “in the coming weeks.”
The theater chain’s reopening plan includes installation of plexiglas screens at the box office and concession stands; disinfecting of high-touch areas as well as theater seating before each showing.
Masks will be required for employees, though only “encouraged” for customers.
Showtimes will also be staggered “to minimize crowds.” The theater chain’s ticket sale system will also be able to assign seats to guests, to ensure physical distancing.
When Cinemark theaters reopen, tickets for showings of “classic” movies from major studios will be sold at “welcome-back” prices — $5 for adults and $3 for children, according to Piper.
“The entire Cinemark team is eager to welcome movie-goers back to our auditoriums for an immersive, shared experience with enhanced health and safety protocols that will give our employees, guests and communities … peace of mind,” Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi said.
Regal Cinemas’ phone line was inoperable Wednesday. Mahoning Matters reached out to company spokespersons, but have yet to receive a response.
Extreme Air Trampoline Park in Niles, however, was back in business Wednesday. The Boardman location will open June 16.
Before closing in March, the company implemented a new sanitation protocol, said Jesse MacGregor, one of the owners and the company’s operations manager.
An employee is continuously wiping down equipment at the facility. Sports balls are being changed out and sanitized every hour. The company also purchased spray foggers at both facilities to emit sanitizing chemicals at night when the parks are closed.
“We spent over four weeks sanitizing every single surface,” said MacGregor.
Employees are also closely monitoring customers to enforce social distancing.
Still, crowds venturing out are small.
“We’re seeing small numbers,” said MacGregor. “Most people still don’t know we’re open.”
The Deep Freeze Ice Arena at the Boardman location will remain closed until July 16.
Although outdoor parks were also permitted to reopen today, the City of Youngstown’s Department of Parks and Recreation said the following activities and facilities will remain canceled or closed until further notice:
- Park pavilion rentals
- Outdoor pavilions and restrooms
- Northside Pool
- Splash pads
- Eugenia Atkinson Recreation Center
- Henry Stambaugh Golf Course
- Playgrounds and playground equipment
- Basketball courts
- Workout equipment at city parks
Walking trails remain open using social distancing guidelines.
For more information, call 330-742-8711 or visit the department’s Facebook page.
In downtown Youngstown, The Butler Institute of American Art will remain closed until July 7, according to its website. Events and exhibitions have been canceled or postponed for the remainder of the year as a result of the pandemic closure.
Here are the current exhibition updates:
- “Life Examined: The Impressionistic Realism of Sam Rosenthal” is extended through Aug. 16
- “Steranko and the American Hero” is postponed and new exhibition dates are to be determined
- “Dorothy Churchill-Johnson: Pattern and Realism, In Search of the Big Picture” is postponed with new dates to be determined
- The 84th National Midyear Exhibition is canceled
All adult and children’s art classes, Wednesday’s Music at Noon and recitals from YSU’s Dana School of Music are canceled until further notice. Programs canceled through the remainder of the year include Arts in the Early Morning Monthly Programs, Films on Art, Family Day, School Tours, Mahoning Valley Lifelong Learning, Park Vista Collaborative Gallery and Butler Summer Visual Arts Day Camp.
The Butler has made changes in policy and protocols to comply with mandatory state guidelines to ensure public health and safety, according to the website. There will be regular and rigorous cleaning of the building as well as enhanced environmental cleaning of commonly touched surfaces.
Staff and visitors will be required to wear face masks in accordance with state guidelines. The number of people in the building will be limited to enforce social distancing along with marks and signs in public areas. Hand sanitizer and disinfectant will be available for staff and visitors.
Tyler History Center and Arms Family Museum did not open Wednesday, as The Mahoning Valley Historical Society is in the final stages of creating new operating protocols and procedures.
Bill Lawson, executive director of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society, said the society is looking at requirements for the amount of people coming into the locations. Other plans include placing hand washing and disinfecting stations, the number of people allowed in the buildings, deep cleaning on a daily basis and the number of days for operation.
“Those are all issues that make for a very complicated procedure, but we need to do it for the safety of our visitors and our staff,” he said.
The historical society board’s executive committee will look at the plans next week for approval and then a date will be set to open,
Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor will remain closed until further notice. Burt Logan, executive director and CEO of Ohio History Connection, said the group is working with all site partners to quickly determine the earliest date each location can open.
To ensure the safety of staff and visitors, Ohio History Connection is purchasing personal protective equipment for all locations. New signs will be placed for visitors to maintain social distancing. Staff will also receive training to ensure safety of all visitors.
This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 3:52 AM with the headline "Welcome ... back? Despite lifted COVID-19 restrictions, many venues remained closed Wednesday."