The Kerala government on Saturday announced reopening of cinema theatres and indoor auditoriums from October 25 with some restrictions in view of COVID-19 pandemic. Chief Minister Pinnarayi Vijayan on Saturday in a press briefing announced reopening of cinemas theatres in the state with a condition that entry will be for those who are fully vaccinated including employees.
Additionally, the theatres and auditoriums will function with 50% seating capacity only.
The announcement was made as number of daily cases of Covid-19 have been declining in the southern state. However, it still contributes to more than half of the 24-hour Covid-19 tally of India.
With regards to marriages, it has been decided to increase the number of guests from 20 to 50, and grama sabhas also can be convened, but will have to follow the Covid protocols.
Meanwhile, Kerala on Saturday logged 13,217 new COVID-19 cases and 121 deaths, taking the caseload to 47,07,936 and the death toll to 25,303.
Health minister Veena George said the state has tested 96,835 samples in the last 24 hours and there are 745 wards across 368 local self government bodies where the weekly population infection ratio was above ten per cent.
"There are 1,41,155 active cases in the state of which only 11 per cent are in hospitals," the minister said in a release. Among the districts, Ernakulam reported the highest number of fresh infections on Saturday--1,730, followed by Thiruvananthapuram 1,584 and Thrissur 1,579.
Meanwhile, 14,437 persons recuperated from the disease, taking the total cured in the state to 45,40,866.
There are 4,37,864 persons under observation of which 17,308 are in isolation wards of various hospitals.
