Thiruvananthapuram: Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) wrote a letter to Kerala Health Minister Veena George, expressing concern over the closure of theatres in C-category districts as part of Covid-19 restrictions.
FEFKA questioned the findings of the expert panel to close down theatres while gyms or swimming pools continue to function without restrictions. ‘There are a number of factors that make cinema theatres relatively safe from all these places. 50% of the seats are currently reserved for audiences in theatres to follow social distancing norms. Further, admission is limited to those who have been vaccinated with at least one dose. Everyone is watching the movie inside the theatre wearing masks and with little interaction with each other. The food and beverages are not served inside the theatre and a proper distance is maintained between seats. Therefore, the theatres follow better measures to tackle covid-19 compared to places like restaurants, bars, spas and salons’, the letter said.
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Citing studies of Institut Pasteur and Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics, the letter stated that the risk factor associated with theatres as a place for Covid-19 transmission is baseless. The letter also questioned the government’s decision to permit malls and bars in Thiruvananthapuram to continue to function while theatres were forced to close down. FEFKA also pointed out that this kind of restriction imposed on theatres in the state would not be seen elsewhere across India.
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