Movie theatres can reopen in the US state of California on Friday if county officials give approval, California Department of Public Health announced in guidelines issued on Monday. Theaters have been closed nationwide since mid-March to help combat the spread of the pandemic.
The number of attendees in each theatre should be limited to 25% of theatre capacity or to a maximum of 100 attendees, whichever is lower, the guidelines read. To ensure the number of attendees entering the theatre at a time is limited, a reservation system will be implemented.
Under the guidelines, theatre staff should "reconfigure, close, or otherwise remove seats from use" to meet social distancing rules which require that a 1.8-meter (6-feet) distance be maintained between attendees, with members of the same family allowed to sit together while keeping the same distance from other families. The number of attendees using restrooms at one time is to be limited.
Face coverings are to be worn when not eating or drinking, the guidelines say. Doors are to stay open during peak periods, with public drinking water fountains switched off.
As of 8 June, the state has registered over 131,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 4,600 fatalities related to the disease, the local authorities reported.