Theatres and auditoriums in Maharashtra will open after 22nd October 2021 while observing all COVID safety protocols, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's office informed in a tweet. SOP is in the works and will be declared soon.
The operating procedure and protocols are under works and will be announced soon, the CM’s office further informed. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted that Rohit Shetty, producer Jayantilal Gada, and exhibitors met CM Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday. Representatives of major national multiplexes including PVR, INOX, Cinepolis, and Carnival were also present.
On Thursday, Adarsh had tweeted that exhibitors met Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut to request that cinemas in Maharashtra be reopened. Members of the Multiplex Association of India also discussed reportedly discussed the issues faced by the exhibitors.
Maharashtra has been gradually easing COVID-19 restrictions. Maharashtra’s Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad recently said that schools in the state will also open on 4 October.
“In rural areas, it's going to be classes 5-12, and in cities it will be classes 8-12. To arrive at this decision, we consulted the task force on Covid... we took their opinion and included in the government resolution,” Gaikwad said.
The Maharashtra government had announced in April that cinema halls, theatres, and multiplexes would be shut for public access due to a rise in COVID-19 cases. The Press Information Bureau tweeted on Saturday that India’s cumulative vaccination coverage exceeds 84 crore.
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