Guang'anmen Cinema in Xicheng district in Beijing closes temporarily on October 31, 2021. Photo: VCG

Three districts in Beijing have announced the temporary closure of cinemas to prevent the spread of the epidemic.

On Sunday, the bureaus of culture and tourism in Dongcheng and Changping districts issued notices saying that cinemas in the districts will suspend their operations. The cinemas are yet to be notified when they will resume operations.

The measure followed Xicheng district, which made the same announcement on Saturday to tighten epidemic control. The notice from Xicheng district indicates that theaters will be closed until November 14. The announcement comes after some theaters were found to allow movie-goers to enter without wearing masks.

Several theaters in the district are already refunding tickets and will have staff on duty during the closure.

Other theaters located in COVID-19 low-risk areas have been asked to limit attendance to 75 percent and to ban eating and drinking inside the theater.

Currently, the film with the highest box office in Chinese theaters is No Time to Die, grossing over 50 million yuan ($7.8 million). The film Dune is also playing in theaters.

The domestic film The Battle of Lake Changjin is also topping the box office and is expected to be ranked as the highest grossing film in the history of Chinese cinema.

Previously, Haidian district also announced the temporary closure of cabarets, amusement halls, performance venues and Internet cafes.

A number of the city's art galleries and museums also closed temporarily.

As of Saturday, Beijing had reported a total of 30 cases in the latest outbreak of locally transmitted COVID-19.