Bhubaneswar: The coronavirus scare is slowly gripping the country and many states, in reaction, are taking some drastic steps to stop the effect of virus. The Delhi government had declared summer holidays well before the due date, while, Kerala ordered a total shutdown of educational institutions and cinema halls after the number of confirmed cases hit 15 in the state. The shutdown will continue till March 31. People have been advised against being part of mass gatherings.
In Odisha, even though there are no positive cases of corona virus so far as per Health and Family Welfare Department report. The Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA) has issued an advisory to all district education officers (DEOs), district project coordinators (DPCs) and block education officers (BEOs) to spread awareness about the deadly Covid-19.
The city theatre and cinema halls have geared up to tackle the threatening virus and said that the there is no danger in the theatres. Sunit Sahoo of Maharaja Cinema Hall said that they had recently done up the theatre again with new seats and furnishing and the place is cleaned with disinfectants every day. About less footfall, he said bad reviews of this week’s movie is the reason behind less footfall.
Meanwhile, Inox, Bhubaneswar, in a statement, said, “Ensuring a safe and hygienic cinema experience remains our topmost priority till the prevailing concerns subside, and we are up to the task. We have increased the frequency of our hygiene routines, deep-cleaning routines and disinfecting routines. Hand sanitizers have been placed at multiple points within all our multiplexes. Considering an upcoming big release, we are prepared to receive our guests in the safest possible cinema environment. We will follow any government advisories which come our way at local, state or national level.”
The regional film industries are feeling the heat of corona threat. Due to the decision of the total shutdown of cinema hall in Kerala, the Malayalam film industry started to feel the heat with new release dates for many films.
This apart, many Bollywood movies are also planning to change its dates due to the fear of coronavirus. The IIFA award ceremony was also cancelled due to this.
