Mumbai: Following in the footsteps of the state government, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for cinema halls, auditoriums and drama theatres, set to be reopened from October 22. Similar to the state government guidelines, the cinema halls, auditoriums and drama theatres will be allowed to operate at half the capacity.

The guidelines allow access only to people with Covid vaccination certificates or with the Aarogya Setu app showing their “safe status”. Besides this, th e BMC guidelines have also mandated strict adherence to social distancing and other Covid-19 safety norms/protocols.

In 2020, cinema operations came to a halt from mid-March due to the pandemic, only to be restarted for a few months starting from October and November last year in various parts of the country.

But in the wake of the second wave of Covid-19, which hit India in April this year, theatres across the state again remained closed from the same month.

The government late last month announced the reopening of cinemas and auditoriums. It has since mid-August announced gradual relaxation in Covid-19 related restrictions amid a decrease in the number of infections.

BMC guidelines

• Cinema halls, drama theatres, and auditoriums are not allowed to operate in containment zones.

• Social distancing, use of face masks, usage of hand sanitisers will be mandatory

• Show timings at cinema halls/movie theatres will have to be “staggered"

• Sale of only packaged food and beverages will be allowed

• All staff must be vaccinated with both doses

• Sanitation of theatres, multiplexes after every screening will be mandatory

• ACs in cinema halls should be set at 24 -30 degrees Celsius

• Only designated people are allowed to operate curtains, backstage property

• No guests are allowed on stage, green rooms to meet artists , crew members

• Every artist is advised to have their own makeup tools and avoid mixing up brushes, combs, etc, the order states.

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