On 25 September, the Maharashtra government finally announced that cinema halls in the state can be reopened from 22 October. The theatres have been shut in the state since April this year in light of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The government has now shared a list of standard operating procedures [SOPs] for the owners of movie houses to follow in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Some of the major SOPs are ensuring that the occupancy in cinema halls should not exceed 50% of the total seating capacity, maintaining a distance of at least six feet in waiting areas outside the auditoriums and making it compulsory for staff and patrons to wear masks at all times. All staff members must also be fully vaccinated and 14 days after taking the second dose should have elapsed before they can show up at work. All patrons must have the Aarogya Setu app. In the absence of this, they can show COVID vaccination certificates.
Hand sanitizers must be made available in a 'touch-free mode' at the entry, exit and common areas on the premises and sufficient time intervals have to be maintained between successive screenings to ensure row-wise staggered entry and exit of the audience.
The list also states that efforts should be made to avoid crowding in common areas, lobbies and washrooms during the intermission and that the break should be of 'longer duration'. While no outside food or beverages will be allowed inside auditoriums, digital no-contact transactions should be the most preferred mode for payments for tickets, food and beverages. The list mandates that the purchase of tickets at the box office be allowed throughout the day and advance booking also be facilitated to avoid crowding at the sale counters.
Cinema halls need to be sanitized after each screening, according to the list, and the temperature of the air-conditioning devices have to be in the range of 24 to 30 degrees Celsius while relative humidity must be in the range of 40 to 70%.