After more than five months of being shut, theatres in Tamil Nadu are all set to reopen on August 23 after the state government eased lockdown rules today (August 21). Tamil Nadu theatres were shut on April 26 following the tremendous rise in cases during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Extending the lockdown in Tamil Nadu till September 6, the government issued a slew of relaxations. Under the new orders, the government has allowed cinema halls to operate at 50 per cent capacity and beaches to reopen for public. It was also confirmed that schools will reopen for Classes 9 to 12 from September 1.
The GO also stressed that theatre owners should ensure that all their employees are vaccinated, and make sure that all the COVID safety guidelines are followed. However, theatres can run only three shows as the government has not given permission for night shows.
The pandemic, like other industries, has broken the back of many theatre owners and distributers as they were open half the days and weren't open the other half. Many filmmakers and producers had also opted to go the direct OTT way to save their films from losses and to reach wider audiences.
For public places such as zoos, parks and boat houses, people are allowed to visit, but while adhering to proper social distancing guidelines. All shops, which were earlier allowed to operate till 9 pm can now function till 10 pm from August 23.
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