Cinema halls in several parts of the country started reopening from October (Representational)
Movie theatres in Kerala will reopen from January 5 but only with 50 per cent capacity, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced today. Theaters in the state are reopening nine months after the lockdown forced cinema halls to shut down.
Theatre operators must ensure that all COVID-19 protocols, including masks, social distancing and sanitisation are followed while functioning.
Cinema halls in several parts of the country started reopening from October, months in the shadow of the pandemic. Theatres and multiplexes had been shut down since March because of the coronavirus crisis.
As per the guidelines under the phased lifting of restrictions under 'Unlock 5' the government had directed several measures. Fifty per cent occupancy, staggered show timings, social distancing, thermal screening, adequate protection gear for the staff, and compulsorily providing phone numbers for "contact tracing" were some of the changes that were called for.
Schools in state capital Thiruvananthapuram also partially reopened today, after a gap of almost nine months. Preparatory classes for Class 10 and 12 students have resumed with COVID-19 protocols in place.
The Kerala government had on Wednesday issued an order prohibiting all public gatherings during New Year celebrations and directed that all celebrations should stop by 10 pm.
Kerala reported around 5,000 new coronavirus cases today taking the total tally to almost 7.61 lakh infections in the state.