Things continue to look grim for the theater industry in the United States as it continues to be battered by the global coronavirus pandemic. Most recent developments show that a number of movie theaters in California would need to be closed again due to the coronavirus.

The Hollywood Reporter says that Sacramento and San Diego counties have been ordered to reclose their theaters after a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the locations. Both Sacramento and San Diego have seen themselves be reclassified back into the higher purple tier from a red tier.

The announcement was made by Mark Ghaly, California’s Secretary of Health and Human Services. The state had previously allowed Sacramento and San Diego to reopen their theaters at 25 percent capacity after both counties were downgraded to the red tier.

As recalled by Variety, California Governor Gavin Newsom had earlier ordered movie theaters' closure in the state last March. Back in August, Newsom revealed that 38 of the state’s 58 counties were reporting seven new cases per 100,000 residents every day, prompting the continued closure of movie theaters.

The news is definitely not good for the theater industry, especially since the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) recently warned that a wave of bankruptcies would happen across the country if Congress would not act.

According to NATO head Jonathan Fithian, if billions of dollars are not granted to theaters and concert venues through the “Save Our Stages” bill, small and medium venues would likely file for bankruptcy or close permanently.

This is because these venues were hit especially hard economically by the closures brought about by the global coronavirus pandemic. With a lot of theaters being closed since March, Fithian warns that 70 percent of small and medium-sized theaters would end up shutting down by next year if the bill is not passed by January.

If the theater closures continue up to December, it may also end up having a ripple effect that would result in movies scheduled for the holidays to once again change their schedules. Currently, the biggest movie set to premiere in December is the superhero sequel Wonder Woman 1984.

With coronavirus cases continuing to rise in the United States, it does not look like the future is looking bright for the theater industry. According to the Nov. 10 update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are now 10,036,463 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States. Deaths caused by COVID-19 are now at 237,731 people.