Canadian exhibition giant Cineplex has temporarily laid off around 5,000 part-time employees after its theaters in Ontario were shuttered amid the coronavirus pandemic Wednesday.
A Cineplex spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter the temporary job cuts followed “mandated closures of our theatre and entertainment venues across Ontario.” From today, Canada’s largest cinema operator has had to shut down its Ontario theaters as the Canadian province takes measures to crack down on a dramatic spike in infection cases due to the emergence of the omicron variant.
“We are eager to get our team back to work once and for all as soon as these temporary restrictions are lifted,” the statement added. Cineplex made similar job cuts in March 2020 across Canada during the initial phase of the pandemic, before reopening its circuit countrywide.
Part-time employees temporarily laid off will be able to qualify for federal unemployment insurance and will be offered the chance to be rehired when Cineplex resumes operation of its Ontario theaters. The latest cost-cutting will help Cineplex meet debt conditions as it looks to navigate the disruptive impact of the pandemic.
Cineplex earlier faced cinema closures in Quebec as provincial health advisors recommended tightened restrictions for COVID-19 hotspots, which include Toronto and Montreal, where the number of omicron variant cases is surging.
The Ontario government is looking to stem a post-holiday surge in omicron variant infections to keep hospitals from being overwhelmed and to enable schools to reopen mid-January.
