The government has allowed cinema halls to operate with 100% capacity and has issued a new set of SOPs (stand operating procedures) to be followed in line with the Covid-19 protocols. Apart from ensuring physical distancing to avoid overcrowding, the theatres and multiplexes have been asked to stagger show timings and digital booking of tickets available, according to a circular by the ministry of information and broadcasting on Sunday.

A day after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) allowed theatres to operate at 100 percent capacity from February 1, states such as Delhi, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Gujarat have allowed cinema halls to increase occupancy from 50 percent to 100 percent.

Issuing guidelines, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Sunday said adequate physical distancing, mandatory face masks, and sanitization of the auditorium after every screening are must for maintaining COVID guidelines. 

Digital booking of tickets and staggered show timings to avoid crowding will be encouraged, the ministry said, releasing a set of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). 

In all, four states, including West Bengal, so far have allowed theatres to operate at full capacity. On the other hand, experts believe that large film releases will only happen towards the end of March as the revision of the occupancy cap is a state subject.

The West Bengal government on Monday allowed 100 percent occupancy in cinema halls and multiplexes, as per a notification. Cinema halls, multiplexes, and theatres can allow 100 percent occupancy without any restrictive seating arrangement, it said. The government had earlier restricted sitting to every alternative seat.

Mean-while, India’s COVID-19 tally of cases rose to 1,07,77,284 with 11,039 new infections being reported in a day, while the recoveries surged to 1,04,62,631, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. 

The death count increased to 1,54,596 with 110 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.   

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,04,62,631 pushing the national COVID-19 recovery rate of 97.08 percent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.43 percent. The total COVID-19 active cases remained below 2 lakh.

There are 1,60,057 active coronavirus infections in the country which comprises 1.49 percent of the total caseload, the data stated.