Cinemas can reopen effective immediately under strict SOP

KUCHING: Cinemas in Sarawak can reopen with immediate effect but they must adhere to the standard operating procedure (SOP) set by the state’s Local Government and Housing Ministry, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.

“So tonight you can go to a cinema but I don’t think they are ready yet,” he said in jest at the State Disaster Management Commi ee’s press conference on Covid-19 yesterday.

According to the SOP on the Local Government and Housing Ministry website, cinema operators and companies must notify the SDMC that they are opening for business.

Cinema operators are also required to take down the details and contact numbers while scanning the body temperature of each customer entering their premises. Hand sanitizers must also be provided at the entrance of their premises.

In the theatre, cinema operators must mark the seats to ensure customers are at least one metre apart from each other for social distancing, and must ensure they wear face masks at all times.

Operators must also give briefing to customers on the SOP before each show.

Children aged 12 and below, and the elderly aged 61 and above are not permi ed to enter the theatre.

The SOP also stated that each theatre hall must be sanitised before and a er each show.

Meanwhile, Uggah, who is SDMC chairman, said Sarawak would follow Putrajaya’s standard operating procedure (SOP) for the reopening of all secondary school classes, and Year Five and Year Six starting July 15.

He said he was satisfied with the resumption of upper secondary school classes so far and had confidence in the decision of the Education Ministry to allow more classes to resume.

“We will follow what has been announced by the federal. I have inspected two schools a couple of days ago and I can see the SOP has been implemented well.

“I hope when the schools are open everybody will cooperate to make sure that the students can study at the same time they do not forget to follow the SOP,” said Uggah.

Earlier yesterday, Senior Minister ( Education) Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin announced that Form One to Form Four classes and Primary Five and Six can begin on July 15, while Year One to Year Four classes can start the following week on July 22.

So tonight you can go to a cinema but I don’t think they are ready yet. Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas