Cinema halls to operate at full occupancy from today

New Delhi: In a major relief to moviegoers as well as the production houses waiting for the complete reopening of cinema halls, the Central government allowed film theatres and multiplexes to open at full capacity from Monday.

The order to allow cinema halls at full occupancy came days after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued new guidelines permitting theatres to operate at a higher capacity.

In regard of the new order, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has also issued a fresh set of guidelines and standard operating protocols (SOPs) for cinema halls and theatres to prevent the further spread of the ongoing coronavirus.

As per the SOPs by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, no film will be screened in the cinema halls falling in the containment zone area.

The guidelines also stated that all cinema halls and theatres will ensure the Covid-19 protocols, including social distancing, face mask, sanitisation, installation of 'Aarogya Setu App', thermal screening at the entry-exit point.

Theatres will have separated seats, staggered show timings, and bookings, mandatory social distancing, and digital payments are being encouraged. These measures should be observed all the time. The States or Union Territories may consider proposing additional measures as per their field assessment, the guidelines stated.