Cinema halls and theaters have been shut since last Cinema halls and theaters have been shut since last six months in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

PTI

The Maharashtra government is positive about reopening cinema halls and theatres but its priority is to ensure safety of citizens amid the COVID-19 pandemic, state Cultural Affairs Minister Amit Deshmukh said on Thursday.

During a meeting with representatives of the Theatre Owners Association, Deshmukh said he would discuss the matter with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat.

Cinema halls and theaters have been shut since last Cinema halls and theaters have been shut since last six months in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday issued new guidelines for permitting more activities in areas outside the containment zones that include opening up cinemas, theatres and multiplexes with up to 50 percent of their seating capacity from October 15.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

Show

related news

However, the state government in its latest lockdown guidelines on Wednesday said cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres in malls and market places, auditoriums, assembly halls will continue to remain closed.

Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic

"When we reopen them (cinema halls and theatres), utmost priority will be given to the safety of citizens. The state government is positive regarding their reopening and I would discuss the same with Thackeray, Ajit Pawar and Thorat,” Deshmukh said.

"Dussehra, Diwali, Christmas are the time when people make a beeline for theatres and cinema halls. This is a goodtime to restart them. The government is thinking how to reopen them as people’s health and safety is paramount,” he said.

Deshmukh said at present, phase 5 of the unlock process is underway wherein hotels, restaurants, bars have been allowed to open in the state, but cinema halls and theatres will remain closed.

During the meeting, representatives of the Theatre Owners Association highlighted the problems they are facing, like license renewal, electricity bills and property tax during the lockdown period.

Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here.

First Published on Oct 1, 2020 04:19 pm

Maharashtra govt positive about reopening cinema halls: Cultural Affairs Minister Amit Deshmukh

Cinema halls and theaters have been shut since last Cinema halls and theaters have been shut since last six months in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

related news

tags #Amit Deshmukh #Cinema #coronavirus #Current Affairs #India #Maharashtra #theatres