Kerala govt looking to reopen movie halls, auditoriums

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government is considering to allow the movie halls and auditoriums to reopen in the state in the wake of the decreasing number of cases of Covid-19.
Culture and fisheries minister Saji Cherian said on Tuesday that the state is reaching a stage favourable for reopening the theatres and auditoriums as the test positivity rates are on the decline.The vaccination is also reaching 90%, he said.
The government had already permitted resuming the shootings of films and tele-serials and the government is also preparing to reopen the schools. Considering all these factors, the government is thinking about permitting to reopen the theatres and auditoriums, he said. However, he said that the final call will be taken only after holding discussions with health experts.
The theatres had reopened after the first wave of Covid-19 that hit the state last year had subsided. The government had then allowed the theatres to function with 50% occupancy in them. However, when the second wave hit the state and the number of infected citizens went up steeply, the government had gone for a total shutdown. Though almost all other sectors have been reopened till now, theatres, in-house dining in the restaurants and bars have not been given permission.