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Indian Movie Theaters Reopen After Months Of Blackout Due To Covid-19

Posted by: Kyeyune Andrew Jonathan in world news October 15, 2020

The world’s second-most populous country, India has finally opened up its movie theaters after 7 months of blackout from the virus. Authorities opened the theatres on Thursday in several parts of the country with older titles on the marquee. Also, they were limited to only half the capacity.

The movie theaters reopened at a time when India’s confirmed covid-19 tally surpassed 7.3 million people. The country registered the highest number of daily Covid-19 cases recorded globally. India is also expected to become the pandemic’s worst-hit country.

About 10,000 theaters closed in mid-March due to the restrictions that came about as a result of the pandemic. Now, they will become one of the last few public places to reopen outside high-risk areas. They, however, still pose some of the biggest infection risks since the virus can easily spread in closed spaces.
They will minimize dangers through separating the seats, staggering show timings, and encouraging digital payment. Masks and temperature gun checks are also mandatory.

What authorities put in place;

“We have put everything into place, maybe more than what has been prescribed. The entire cinema touch points have been provided with anti-microbial films,’’ said Gagan Kapur, regional head of the PVR Cinemas in New Delhi.
Some Indian states have remained cautious. Mumbai authorities, the home of Bollywood halted reopening of cinemas for the time being. The southern Maharashtra, of which Mumbai is the capital, is the worst-hit state with almost 37% of the country’s cases.

India saw a surge in July, added over 2 million in August, and added another three million in September. Recent trends at the time of the reopening of cinemas suggest a decline in new cases. But be that as it may, health officials predicted a surge in covid-19 cases during the religious festival season beginning later this month.

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