As government allows cinemas to open with 100% occupancy, keep these guidelines in mind

Starting today, full occupancy will be allowed in cinema halls while following all COVID-related protocols, said Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar on Sunday.

This move by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting should come as a relief to cinema halls that were closed for nearly seven months last year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Even after opening they have been struggling with low audience attendance and very few new film offerings.

Terming the decision as "good news for cinema lovers", the Minister said that Union Home Ministry had given the nod to the decision of opening the cinema halls on January 27.

"Online booking of tickets will be encouraged. Detailed guidelines have been released," the Minister said.

According to the guidelines, all cinema halls and theatres will ensure the COVID-19 protocol including social distancing, face mask, sanitisation, installation of 'Aarogya Setu App', thermal screening at the entry-exit point. These measures should be observed all the time.

Theatres will have separated seats, staggered show timings, and bookings, and digital payments are being encouraged.

Guidelines issues by government

- Thermal screening of visitors/staff is to be carried out at entry points.

- Only asymptomatic individuals shall be allowed to enter the premises.

- Provisions for hand sanitisation should be made available at all entry points and in work areas.

- Designated queue markers shall be made available for entry and exit of the audience from the auditorium and the premises.

- The exit should be done in a staggered row-wise manner to avoid crowding.

- Sufficient time interval between successive screenings on a single screen as well as on various screens in a multiplex shall be provided to ensure row-wise staggered entry and exit of the audience.

- Proper crowd management in the parking lots and outside the premises -- duly following physical distancing -- norms shall be ensured.

- Number of people in the elevators shall be restricted, duly maintaining physical distancing norms.

- Efforts shall be made to avoid overcrowding in the common areas, lobbies and washrooms during the intermission.

- Audience may be encouraged to avoid movement during the intermission. Longer intermissions may be used to allow audience seated in different rows of the auditorium to move.

"No-contact transactions should be the most preferred mode for tickets, food, and beverages. Contact number shall be taken at the time of booking of tickets to facilitate contact tracing," the guidelines added.

The States or Union Territories may consider proposing additional measures as per their field assessment, the guidelines stated.

In its last set of guidelines issued earlier this month, the government had allowed cinema halls to operate at a higher capacity.

In October 2020, the Centre had allowed cinema halls to operate at 50 per cent seating capacity. Cinemas and theatres across the country were shut for several months under the COVID-19 induced lockdown.