India Allows 100% Cinema Occupancy As Active COVID-19 Cases Decline - Variety

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The country’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced on Saturday that it will allow 100% occupancy rates for cinemas starting on February 1. The cinema will reopen in October 2020 and the occupancy rate will reach 50%.

The ministry said in a statement: "The seating arrangement in the cinema/theater/complex theater auditorium can accommodate up to 100% of the seats."

However, movies are not allowed in designated locations

Containment area.

The ministry also issued a list of standard operating procedures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, requiring visitors and film workers to always comply.

In the cinema, a minimum of six feet must be kept outside the auditorium, public areas and waiting areas at all times, and a face mask/mask must be used. Spitting is strictly prohibited, and it is recommended to use the government's tracking app "arogya setu".

The thermal screening of visitors and employees will be carried out at the entrance, and only asymptomatic people are allowed to enter. It is necessary to make the designated queue mark available for the audience to enter and exit from the auditorium and the venue, and the exit must be in a staggered row to avoid crowding. The performance time will be staggered.

It should be ensured that the entire venue, public facilities and all points in contact with people (such as handles and railings) are disinfected frequently, and the cinema must be disinfected after each screening.

The temperature of the cinema should be kept between 24-30°C, and the relative humidity should be within the range of 40-70%. Air recirculation should be avoided as much as possible, and preparations should be made for cross ventilation and fresh air intake.

Encourage online or mobile booking of air tickets and discounts. Usually, hand sanitizer needs to be seen everywhere.

At the same time, according to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India, as of January 30, the total number of active coronavirus infections in India has dropped to 169,824, and vaccination efforts are still continuing. The ministry issued a statement on Saturday, saying: “India is the fastest country to reach the COVID-19 vaccination target, not only reaching the 1 million target, but also reaching 2 million and 3 million marks.” “A few other preemptive countries (approximately 40 to 50 days) has taken longer to achieve these goals."

India's leading diversified companies welcome this move.

"This is finally welcome news, which will greatly promote

industry. We thank the Ministry of Press and Broadcasting and the Ministry of Interior for the decision to allow 100% of the seating capacity of the cinema," Gautam Dutta, CEO of PVR Chain told us

. "India has done a good job in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and mass vaccination. This move will give producers the confidence to show their long-awaited movies and allow (audience) audiences to return to the cinema to watch the most with their loved ones. Favorite movie. PVR continues to put safety and hygiene first and will (will) comply with all SOPs set by the government."

"For the revival of the cinema exhibition industry, relaxing the seating regulations is a crucial prerequisite. We thank the I&B Department and are very excited that the revised guidelines allow 100% of cinema seats," Inox Chain CEO Alok Tandon told him.

. "This will ease the concerns of content producers and filmmakers who can now announce the release date of their films. We now look forward to the state government providing us with a nod to implement the revised guidelines."

The increase in capacity will provide relief to stakeholders because it includes several large movies starring "83" starring Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, "Sooryavanshi"

, Ajay Devgn (Ajay Devgn) and Singh (Singh) starring Salman Khan and "Radhe" have been preparing for months and are waiting for their release.

Khan reassures exhibitors that he will prevent the release of "Radhe" instead of direct streaming into the media like several behind-the-scenes blockbusters in 2020.

-Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan)

After the announcement, the Tamil "Karnan" starring Dhanush has been waiting for theater releases, and the company announced that it will bow in April.

Karnan issued an announcement.

-Dhanush (@dhanushkraja)

The "Master" starring Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi was screened in the cinema, the allowed occupancy rate during the Pongal vacation was 50%, and USD 33 million was raised. It began streaming on Amazon Prime Video on January 29.

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