Cinema halls to open from October 15 with 50 percent capacity

The government has allowed cinema halls to open from October 15.

The seating arrangements shall be restricted to 50 percent of the seating capacity. Multiplex show timings shall be staggered, so as to not have an overlap of show timings. The temperature setting shall be in the range of 24°- 30°c.

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar released the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the film exhibition on October 6.

Releasing the SOP, the Minister said that as per the decision of the Ministry of Home Affairs, cinema halls will reopen from October 15, 2020, and to that end, the Ministry of I&B has prepared this SOP.

The highlights of the guiding principles include the general principles which have been given by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare including thermal screening of all visitors/ staffs, adequate physical distancing, use of face covers/ masks, frequent hand washing, provision of hand sanitizers, etc. and respiratory etiquettes specifically with regard to the exhibition of films.

The Ministry has formulated the general SOPs taking into consideration international practices notified in the sector including physical distancing, entry, and exit with designated queue markers, sanitization, the safety of staff, contact minimization.

The Guiding principle and SOP may be used by all States and other stakeholders and State Governments while resuming the Exhibition of Films.

Exhibition of Films is a major economic activity that has contributed immensely to the GDP of our country. Given the current COVID – 19 Pandemic, it is crucial that various stakeholders involved in activities of Exhibition of Films take suitable measures to restrict the transmission of the pandemic, while at the same time resuming/ conduction their operations and activities.