Anies Baswedan Says Movie Theaters Will Reopen Soon

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said movie theaters in the capital city will reopen soon. The announcement, he added, will be made shortly.

“So in conclusion, cinema activities in Jakarta will resume soon,” said Anies in a virtual press conference in the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), on Wednesday, August 26.

According to him, the city government would draft regulations concerning the reopening of cinemas after months-long closure in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Results of studies conducted by the expert team of the Covid-19 mitigation task force would be included in the policy, such as rules about the mandatory use of face masks in the building, the purchase of tickets, and the distance of seats.

“The health protocols will be enforced through detailed regulations and strict supervision so that industry players can provide services to the public without causing big risks,” the governor said.

Cinemas in Jakarta were initially planned to reopen on July 29, 2020, yet it was postponed. Anies Baswedan argued that the reopening of indoor entertainment venues was delayed as the city was waiting for the Covid-19 trend to flatten.

However, until the fourth extension of phase 1 transitional PSBB or large-scale social restriction, which will end August 27, Jakarta still sees an uptrend in positive cases, recording a stable number of new cases at 500-600 per day.

Jakarta Covid-19 positivity rate for the past week also reached the highest figure at 10 percent, above the recommended rate issued by the WHO, which is 5 percent.

Read also: Anies Baswedan Asks Other Regions to Ramp Up COVID-19 Testing Capacity

LANI DIANA WIJAYA