In good news for the cinema enthusiasts, the Ministry of Home Affairs has now allowed the cinema halls in the country to operate at a 100 per cent seating capacity. According to the central government's new guidelines, the cinema halls can implement a higher seating capacity from tomorrow (February 1).
The new direction has come as great news for the owners of cinema halls as well as they were struggling after the theatres were closed in March 2020 in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. It is to be noted that the government had allowed the cinema halls in the country to operate at 50 per cent seating capacity in October 2020.
To keep the spread of COVID-19 in check, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has issued some standard operating procedures (SOPs) that need to be followed. The cinema halls will follow various measures to control the spread of infection through temperature checks, separated seats, show timings, social distancing, and digital payments, among other things.
Here are some of the guidelines to be followed at the cinema halls once they start operating at full seating capacity:
-Use of face masks or covers is going to be mandatory at the cinema halls
-Theatregoers are expected to self-monitor their health and report any illness at the earliest
-Physical or social distancing of at least 6 feet need to be followed in the common waiting areas and outside the auditoriums
-Hand sanitisers need to be available at the entry and the exit and it would be preferred if they are touch-free
-Use of Aarogya Setu app is advised to keep a track of those having a risk of infection
-Respiratory etiquette like sneezing and coughing in a tissue or flexed elbow to be strictly followed
-Strict prohibition on spitting
