Maharashtra Shuts Down Cinema Halls Due To Surge In COVID-19 Cases; RT-PCR Tests Mandatory For Film Shoots

Maharashtra is one of the states which has been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. On Sunday (April 4, 2021), the state government ordered shutting down of cinema halls, theatres and multiplexes for public access until further notice, to bring the spread of COVID-19 under control.

After the cabinet meeting on the surge in COVID-19 cases in the state amid the second wave of the pandemic, Minority Affairs Minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik confirmed that Maharashtra will witness a weekend lockdown starting from 8 pm on Friday to 7 am on Monday (April 5, 2021).

According to the 'Break The Chain' guidelines issued by the state government, cinema halls, theatres and multiplexes have been ordered to remain shut until further notice.

The guidelines further state that shootings of films/serials/advertisements to be allowed subject to:

a) Shooting of scenes with large number of artistes to be avoided.

b) All staff engaged as well as artistes to carry negative RT-PCR certificate valid for 15 days. This order will operate from 10 April.

c) In case a Quarantine Bubble may be created for artistes & staff, they may be allowed by concerned disaster management authority with any number provided before entry into the bubble negative RT-PCR test has been conducted on each one.

These guidelines will remain in force till April 30, 2021.

In the last few days, the entertainment industry has been severely affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic with many celebrities being diagnosed with the virus. Bollywood stars like Aamir Khan, Alia Bhatt, Akshay Kumar, Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Rithwik Bhowmik and others have tested positive for COVID-19. While Akshay Kumar has been hospitalized, the rest of the celebrities are currently under home quarantine.

Not just Bollywood stars, even many television celebrities have tested COVID-19 positive. This includes names like Rupali Ganguly and Sudhanshu Pandey of Anupamaa fame, Narayani Shastri, Monalisa, Shubhangi Atre, Mishkat Verma, Aditya Narayan, Ajaz Khan and many others.