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Cinemas to open – but crowds gone with the wind
Cinemas getting their act together before opening doors to public. Pix by Indika Handuwala
Jam-packed cinemas with crowds outside pressing in to see the latest Hollywood and Bollywood blockbusters and favourite Tamil or Sinhala films will be sights of the past when movie halls reopen on July 2.
Strict guidelines issued by the health ministry include the blocking of every other seat with tape, not allowing intermissions, no serving of food or beverages and maintaining a 1m-distance at entrances, foyers and ticket counters.
According to the ministry, cinemas pose a higher risk of the COVID-19 virus being passed around and thus need to be restricted to less than 50 per cent of capacity, with strong adherence to all precautions.
The Director-General of Health, Dr. Anil Jasinghe, has instructed cinema operators to be strict over seating even with groups from the same household. The only exception will be for children under 12 years, who may be allowed to sit next to a parent.
“Cinema halls are places of potential crowding, especially when entering and leaving the cinema. In this setting, large numbers of people are likely to mix in a confined space for a length of time. Therefore, strict precautions are necessary,” Dr. Jasinghe said.
Moviegoers are advised not to enter cinemas if they have fever, a cough or sore throat or any other respiratory symptom. They must wash hands and use hand sanitiser after handling tickets or touching door handles, wear a mask throughout the movie and buy their tickets in advance online if possible.
When a film ends they are to leave halls in an orderly manner, row by row, as announced by staff.
“If using 3D glasses, ensure that these are a newly-disinfected pair,” the guidelines state.
Six teams, each including 10 Public Health Inspectors (PHIs), will be deployed throughout Colombo to inspect cinemas and surrounding food outlets to ensure social distancing and safety precautions are followed by moviegoers and cinema staff and management.
“We will be checking continually,” the Chief Medical Officer of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), Dr. Ruwan Wijeyamuni said.
“Any film hall found breaching health regulations will be dealt strictly as film halls in Colombo attract large crowds.” The teams have been given the show times for all cinemas.
Scope Cinemas Chairman Naveed Cader said it was his view that with no community transmission, cinema halls at present could be considered safe even for children. Nevertheless, his staff will take all precautions set by the Health Ministry.
“Film halls were the first to close down when the pandemic struck. Like in aircraft, after every human touch-point disinfection has to take place. All our cinemas will be disinfected between each show and handwashing and sanitising facilities will be available,” he said.
Some cinemas will have delayed openings as there were no major releases globally, Mr. Cader said.
Cinema owners are to submit an assurance form to the area medical officer and to the local government authority.
There are 180 cinemas in the country, the General Manager of National Film Corporation, Sudheera Nilanga Withana said, with the corporation running 69 of them.
“We have given instructions to film halls to strictly adhere to health guidelines,” Mr. Withana said.
