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Cinema halls can operate with 100% capacity; digital booking of tickets, staggered show timings among new govt SOPs
The multiplexes have been suggested to keep longer intermissions to avoid overcrowding in the common areas, lobbies and washrooms during the period.
The government has allowed cinema halls to operate with 100% capacity and has issued a new set of SOPs (stand operating procedures) to be followed in line with the Covid-19 protocols. Apart from ensuring physical distancing to avoid overcrowding, the theatres and multiplexes have been asked to stagger show timings and digital booking of tickets available, according to a circular by the ministry of information and broadcasting on Sunday.
Earlier this week, the ministry of home affairs had issued new Covid-19 guidelines allowing swimming pools to be opened for all and cinema halls to have greater seating capacity than 50 per cent being allowed till now and had said that the SOPs would be shared by the respective ministries.
The I&B ministry has asked cinemas to ensure proper crowd management in the parking lots and outside the premises and has also restricted the number of people in elevators. The multiplexes have been suggested to keep longer intermissions to avoid overcrowding in the common areas, lobbies and washrooms during the period.
“Audiences may be encouraged to avoid movement during the intermission. Longer intermissions may be used to allow the audience seated in different rows of the auditorium to move in a staggered manner,” the ministry’s statement said.
Also, the show commencement time, intermission period and finish time of a show at any screen shall not overlap with the commencement time, intermission period or finish time of a show at any other screen in a multiplex, the government has said.
Cinemas have also been asked to control the temperature inside halls and keep it between 24°C and 30°C. Listing further details, the statement said, relative humidity should be in the range of 40-70%, re-circulation of air must be avoided to the extent possible, intake of fresh air should be ensured as much as possible and cross ventilation should be adequate.
To be sure, no exhibition of films will be allowed in Covid-19 containment zones.
