100% occupancy will be allowed in theatres from Feb 1: Prakash Javadekar

Cinema halls across the country will be permitted to operate at full capacity from February 1 with adherence to Covid-19 safety protocols, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting  Prakash Javadekar anno­unced on Sunday.

Adequate physical distancing, mandatory face masks and sanitisation of auditorium after every screening are among the latest SOPs issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Sunday, after the government allowed cinema halls to operate at 100 per cent occupancy from Monday.

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

“There