On 17 March 2020, Cineworld and all other cinema companies in the UK temporarily closed their UK cinemas due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Some 800 staff at Cineworld Group PLC wrote to Chief Executive Moshe Greidinger requesting their jobs back after many were made redundant, "with immediate effect". Employees with over three years of service were told they would be retained with 40% of their salary or average pay. The letter said the move would leave many of the affected unable to afford essentials such as housing and food. In late May 2020, Cineworld announced they planned to reopen all its UK cinemas in July. On 14 August 2020, they announced a new reopening schedule, in which their Welsh cinemas would open on 14 August, whereas their Irish, Scottish and Jersey screens would open on 26 August. Their English cinemas had been open since 31 July.