Maharashtra Government Releases SOPs For Cinema Theatres

Mumbai, October 12 - The government of Maharasthra recently announced that the cinema halls and theaters would be permitted to operate from October 22, for which, the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) would be released soon.

And now, on October 11, the wait is over for the Bollywood filmmakers as the government has released the SOPs which have cleared the road for Rohit Shetty's "Sooryavanshi" and other upcoming Bollywood biggies, which are lined up for release.



As expected, the moviegoers will have to strictly adhere to the covid-19 guidelines such as practice social distancing, wear face masks and use sanitizers inside the theatre. The government has set a 50% occupancy cap in the cinema halls and also asked for stagger show timings so that crowding doesn't take at any point in the theatre.

The SOP has also mentioned that those who are fully vaccinated will have to show their Covid vaccination certificate. Fortunately, if one is partially or non-vaccinated, he/she can still enter the theatre, provided they show the 'safe' status on their Aarogya Setu app.

The staff of the cinema halls has been asked to check the temperature of the viewers and allow only asymptomatic individuals inside. The management of the theatres will have to sanitize the auditorium after every screening and also ensure regular and disinfection. The staff is also required to be fully vaccinated.

The government hasn't mentioned cut-off time for cinemas to operate in the SOPs which means that the night shows have been allowed. The government has also encouraged online booking to avoid crowd at the booking store and food or beverages will not be allowed inside the theaters.

Stay tuned...