U.K. theater chain Odeon has said all its cinemas in the country are to close.
In a statement on its website, Odeon said that the cinemas would be closed until further notice.
“Following government guidelines, Odeon Cinemas are closed until further notice. If you have pre-booked tickets online, these will be refunded automatically.”
The announcement, made Tuesday morning, was expected following the U.K. government advice Monday evening to avoid “non-essential” contact and travel.
However, the government stopped short of enforcing closures across social venues, such as cinemas and theaters, and has not yet enacted a gatherings ban.
Odeon has over 100 cinemas and 850 screens in the U.K. and Ireland. Its centrepiece cinema, Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, has hosted over 700 of Europe’s biggest film premieres since the 1930s.
Odeon is owned by AMC Theaters, which announced on Monday that it will close all its theaters in the United States for six to 12 weeks in response to the coronavirus pandemic.