CLAY COUNTY – As COVID-19 cases continue to pop up in Northeast Florida, theaters in the area are adjusting how their systems work.

AMC Theaters in Orange Park closed March 17, as did the rest of AMC theaters nationwide. That group will remain closed for six to 12 weeks. But before enacting that measure, their theater capacity numbers were halved. This was a nationwide policy enacted in the name of social distancing for AMC.

“We are ever so disappointed for our moviegoing guests and for our employee teams that the new CDC guidelines that Americans should not gather in groups larger than 10 people make it impossible to open our theaters,” AMC CEO Adam Aron said. “Still, the health and well-being of AMC guests and employees, and of all Americans, takes precedence above all else.”

The other theater in Clay County, New Vision Theaters Fleming Island 12, is increasing the frequency of its usual cleanings. Leigh Ann Rassler, marketing director of the theater, said that the theater already cleans and sanitizes its surfaces, theaters and other areas with high foot traffic often but is increasing its frequency of those cleanings as a result of COVID-19.

The theater is also capping its attendance, much like AMC did before closing all of its theaters.

“In an effort to provide our guests with the safest and most comfortable environment possible, we are also reducing the overall capacity in all of our locations by 50% effective immediately and continuing until April 30, 2020,” Rassler said.

She said the theater is also taking aggressive steps to provide additional space between guests in pursuit of the best social distancing practices. Guests will not be able to use refillable popcorn buckets, but they can have new one to receive a free large popcorn for the same price as a bucket refill.

While moviegoers continue to buy tickets to theaters, the number of movies in the theater available for viewing could start to dwindle soon depending on how long the virus sticks around.

Blockbusters like Disney’s upcoming “Mulan” and Paramount Pictures’ “A Quiet Place Part II” have been indefinitely delayed as a result of the virus. Both were expected to hit theaters this month. Other movies in the pipeline like James Bond’s latest venture, No Time to Die, have been delayed as well.

Elsewhere in the world, countries like France and Italy have closed all theaters as a result of COVID-19 as well as businesses like restaurants and coffee shops.