Delhi CM Kejriwal hopes theatres will strictly follow Covid-19 guidelines

At a meeting with the representatives of cinema hall associations, Kejriwal said the people and the associations would have to work together to revive the economy of Delhi.

On the eve of the opening of cinema halls, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal hoped on Wednesday that they would adhere to the coronavirus safety guidelines and follow protocols of social distancing and sanitisation.

Arvind Kejriwal said that the last seven months had been very tough, adding that the whole country and the whole world is suffering from the coronavirus pandemic. (HT Photo)

At a meeting with the representatives of cinema hall associations, Kejriwal said the people and the associations would have to work together to revive the economy of Delhi.

“I hope that the cinema halls will follow the guidelines and SOPs of the central as well as the state government. It is extremely necessary to follow the social distancing and sanitization protocols in the cinema halls,” he said.

Kejriwal said that the last seven months had been very tough, adding that the whole country and the whole world is suffering from the coronavirus pandemic.

“Delhi has fought a very tough and a strong battle against Corona. The most important thing is getting Delhi’s economy back on track, which has dismantled due to the Corona lockdown. Now, we have to bring Delhi’s economy back on track through our collective efforts. We cannot stay in lockdown forever, we have to open the economy of Delhi. Since Unlock 1, we have started opening the economy of Delhi as per the guidelines and orders of the Central government,” he added.

The meeting was attended by representatives from theatre companies like PVR, Inox and others, who assured the chief minister of full adherence to all the guidelines.

The Centre allowed multiplexes, cinema halls and theatres to reopen from Thursday within the framework of a set of SOPs.

Late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s last theatrical release ‘Chhichhore’ is among the films that will have a big screen re-release as cinemas in several parts of the country get ready to open after seven months.

As per the guidelines, cinema-goers will have to download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile. There is a complete ban on eating and drinking while watching the film. The audience will have to be seated according to alternative seating arrangements and there will be a cross mark on the seat that cannot be occupied.

The entire system of purchasing tickets will be online and the air-conditioning will be adjusted as per laid-down guidelines. Entry and exit gates, seats, and lobbies will be sanitised from time to time and the cinema halls will be cleaned after every show, it said.

Everyone in the cinema hall will be required to stay in masks and management will have to provide sanitisers to the viewers, it added.