I&B Ministry Issues Guidelines For Cinema Halls; Only 50% Occupancy Allowed
The Ministry of Information and Broadcast on October 6 has released guidelines for re-opening of cinema halls. According to the ministry, theatres can operate only with 50% capacity, keeping alternate seats vacant. It stated that sanitizing stations must be installed at the theatres and both the staff and visitors should mandatorily wear masks. The movie theatres are also directed to make announcements regarding COVID-19 and one-minute COVID-awareness video should be played at the beginning of the movie and during the interval. The ministry has said that the theatres should follow staggered show timings, so that the sanitization of halls can be carried out after each show. Further, it asked to encourage online booking of tickets and open more windows to issue tickets physically. The Central government, in its 'Unlock 5 guidelines', has allowed the cinema halls to operate from October 15.