Unlock 5: Schools Can Reopen But Attendance Not Mandatory; Cinemas Can Operate At Half The Capacity

Schools can reopen but attendance is not mandatory, and multiplexes and entertainment parks can resume operations partially from Oct. 15 as India continues to lift restrictions despite adding Covid-19 cases at the fastest pace in the world.

These add to the list of the activities allowed in the first, second and third and fourth phases of easing the stringent stay-at-home curbs. That comes when India is adding more than 80,000 Covid-19 cases every day, overtaking the U.S. and Brazil. On Wednesday, India’s total could reached more than 62.25 lakh cases.

What's Allowed Now

Cinemas, theatres and multiplexes will be permitted to open with up to 50% of their seating capacity, the Ministry of Home affairs said in a statement on Wednesday. Standard operating procedures will be issued separately by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

States and union territories can take a decision on opening schools, colleges, education and coaching institutions, according to the guidelines. They have been asked to prepare their own SOPs on health and safety precautions based on guidelines issued by Department of School Education and Literacy of the Union Ministry of Education.

No school can enforce attendance, and a student can attend classes only with the written consent of parents, the guidelines said. “Online/distance learning shall continue to be the preferred mode of teaching and is encouraged."

In containment zones, the guidelines said the lockdown will continue to be implemented strictly till Oct. 31. States have been asked not to impose any local lockdown outside these zones

Containment zones will notified on the websites of the respective district collectors and information will be shared with the Union Home Ministry.

Guidelines On Gatherings

State and UTs been given the flexibility to permit social, academic, sports, entertainment, cultural, religious, and political functions and other congregations beyond the limit of 100 persons outside containment zones. This is allowed if following conditions are met:

• In closed spaces, a maximum of 50% of the hall capacity is allowed, with a ceiling of 200 persons. Wearing face masks, maintaining social distancing, provision for thermal scanning and use of handwash or sanitiser will be mandatory.
• In open spaces, keeping the size of the ground or space in view, and with strict observance of social distancing, mandatory wearing of face masks, provision for thermal scanning and handwash or sanitiser.

Other Highlights

• Business-to-business exhibitions allowed; Department of Commerce to issue SOPs.
• Swimming pools being used for training of sportspersons can reopen; Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports to issue SOPs.
• Entertainment parks and similar places permitted to reopen; Health & Family Welfare to issue SOP.
• Higher education institutions, PhD research scholars, post-graduate students in science and technology stream requiring laboratory or experimental work will can reopen from Oct. 15

The rule relaxation will bring some relief to several businesses operating in the entertainment and hospitality sectors. Subject to local limitations imposed by individual states.

This is good news for multiplex players PVR and Inox Leisure, however it will be a long road to recovery, said Sudip Bandopadhyay, group chairman at Inditrade Capital. “Valuations of the film exhibition stocks had already started moving up in the last one month in the run up to this announcement.”

The capacity limitations could make reopening unviable for some, pointed out Mayuresh Joshi, head of equity research at William O' Neil.

“Though reopening of hotels at 50% capacity will be sentimentally positive for the hoteliers, only time will be able to tell how this pans out for the players. Overhead costs will anyway be greater than the inflows, but, it's relatively better compared to the complete shut down as some recovery might happen at half capacity.”