Unlock 5.0 Guidelines & Rules: It remains to be seen if cinema halls are
given the nod to reopen from October. Only open-air theatres were allowed to
kickstart operations from September 21.
While several restrictions have been eased in different phases of ‘Unlock’
since June, the Union Home Ministry is slated to come out with fresh
guidelines for October — which holds significance since it marks the beginning
of the long festive season. Last month, the Home Ministry had said more
relaxations and opening up of more activities would be gradually allowed in
areas outside the containment zones. With industries hoping for a strong
rebound in consumer demand this festive season, further easing of restrictions
is expected.
What relaxations are expected in ‘Unlock 5’ for October?
Rs 1,500 crores and the government might pay heed to their request under
Unlock 5.0. In August, Information and Broadcasting ministry secretary
Amit Khare had suggested a seating arrangement formula for cinema halls.
West Bengal has already given a go-ahead to cinema halls for operating from
October 1 with a limited number of participants.
the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. States are gradually
announcing the opening of hotels, home-stays and other tourism-related
services. The Uttarakhand government has already removed the mandatory
two-days stay in a hotel or homestay and a COVID-19 negative report for
tourists.Odisha has announced the reopening of all tourist destinations from
October and the tourism department has reportedly prepared a masterplan to
promote major tourist destinations. The Sikkim government has decided to
open its border with West Bengal for unrestricted movement from October 1
and allow tourism-related services from October 10.
after several schools across the country have resumed their activities from
September 21. Universities and colleges have already started entrance tests
and counselling for the new academic year and are set to start online
classes
Unlock 5.0 Guidelines and Rules: Visitors enjoy at plaza in Sector 17 in
Chandigarh
In fact, West Bengal has become the first state to allow cinema halls to
operate from October 1 with a limited number of participants. “To return to
normalcy, Jatras, Plays, OATs, Cinemas & all musical, dance, recital &
magic shows shall be allowed to function with 50 participants or less from 1
Oct, subject to adherence to physical distancing norms, wearing of masks &
compliance to precautionary protocols,” Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
has said.
Last month, Information and Broadcasting ministry secretary Amit Khare
suggested to the Union Home Ministry on the sitting arrangement formula.
According to the plan, the alternate seats in the first row and the next row
might be kept vacant and proceeding in this fashion throughout.
Last week, a report had claimed that the Ministry of Home Affairs ordered the
reopening of theatres from October 1 with strict regulations in place.
However, a Press Information Bureau (PIB) fact check has debunked the reports.
“Claim: A Media report has claimed that the Home Ministry has ordered
reopening of cinema halls across the country from 1st October with the
imposition of strict regulations. #PIBFactCheck: This claim is #Fake. No
decision has been taken by @HMOIndia on reopening the cinema halls yet,” a
tweet from PIB read.
Unlock 5.0 Guidelines and Rules: Health workers wearing protective suits
during collection of swab for Covid-19 test inside a cinema hall in
Kolkata. (Express photo by Partha Paul)
Likely boost for battered tourism sector
The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have battered the tourism sector the
most and in Unlock 5, more tourism centres and tourist places may open its
doors for travellers.
The Sikkim government has decided to allow hotels, home-stays and other
tourism-related services to restart operations from October 10. The state has
also decided to open its border with West Bengal for unrestricted movement of
vehicles from October 1.
Kerala tourism may also reopen in October and the modalities were discussed at
a meeting between the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) representatives
with tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran.
The Uttarakhand government has also lifted Covid-19 restrictions for tourists.
As per the revised set of guidelines, it is no longer mandatory for tourists
to carry a coronavirus negative report. Moreover, the requirement of a
mandatory stay of a minimum two days in a hotel or homestay has also been done
away with.
Unlock 5.0 Guidelines and Rules: A health worker sorts samples for
Covid-19 test at a govt dispensary in New Delhi (Express photo by Amit Mehra)
On Sunday, the Odisha government announced that it would reopen all tourist
destinations from October. Tourism Minister J P Panigrahi said his department
had prepared a master plan to promote various destinations in the
state to attract tourists. “We have decided to reopen all the tourist spots
from October with strict adherence to health safety guidelines amid the
COVID-19 pandemic,” PTI quoted Panigrahi as saying.
Restaurants in Maharashtra to open for dine-in from October first
week
The Maharashtra government has agreed to allow restaurant owners in the state
to provide dine-in service from the first week of October. After remaining
completely shut for two and a half months, the state government had allowed
the restaurants to open on June 1 but only for takeaway and home deliveries
“We had a fruitful meeting with CM Uddhav Thackeray and his team about
reopening of dine-in facility at the restaurants. The CM has assured us that
the restaurant will be allowed to provide the service from October first week.
He has asked us to ensure that the standard operating procedure (SOP) required
to be followed by the restaurants are strictly being adhered to and safety of
the patrons is not compromised,” said Ganesh Shetty, President of Pune
Restaurant and Hoteliers’ Association (PRAHA).
