Indonesian authorities on Wednesday said movie theatres could re-open, saying that going to the cinema could trigger happiness and boost the spectators’ immunity.
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According to an epidemiologist and spokesman of the National Covid-19 Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito, cinemas contribute significantly in providing entertainment to the public because they make people happy, it can boost their immunity.
Adisasmito said the task force’s team of experts had analysed the feasibility of re-opening movie theatres, which was shut in March due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Cinemas would only open to people aged between 13 and 59 and who did not suffer from diabetes, any type of pulmonary or cardiovascular diseases or had a weak immune system.
They would also be required to wear facial masks at all times to watch films of a maximum length of two hours. Food and drinks would not be allowed and tickets could only be purchased online.
It will be up to each region’s administration to draw up a plan for the re-opening.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said the city administration was preparing a more detailed regulation as guidance for the cinema industry to operate without compromising public health.
Indonesia reported 2,306 new cases on Wednesday, for a total of 160,165 infections, of which 115,409 recovered. The number of fatalities rose by 86 to 6,944.
Adisasmito said Indonesia’s recovery rate stands at 71.5 per cent, well above the global average of 68.19 per cent.
He acknowledged that the testing capacity remained low, however, with 95,463 people tested per week, below the target of 267,700 weekly tests, in accordance with WHO benchmark.