KUALA LUMPUR: Cinemas will be allowed to reopen to fully vaccinated individuals starting Thursday.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob in a statement said, however, cinema halls could only operate at 50 per cent audience capacity.
He said this was part of the government's decision to relax the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the creative industry, for states currently under Phase 1 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP).
The decision would bring relief to more than a million creative industry workers and artistes in the country, as well as assisting more than 19,000 companies related to the creative industry, he said.
"The relaxation will be subject to the SOP approved by the National Security Council (NSC)."
Ismail Sabri said the easing of restrictions were only for industry players, workers and customers who are fully vaccinated and based on capacity of premises involved.
"The easing of the restrictions was made as (some) states have reached the 80 per cent rate of vaccination for the adult population, or have achieved herd immunity," he said.
Ismail Sabri said the creative industry contributed two per cent or RM29 billion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2019.
"The decision will also restart all initiatives and programmes under the Communications and Multimedia Ministry via the National Film Development Corporation (Finas), MyCreative Ventures and Cultural Economy Development Agency (Cendana).
"I would like to urge those involved in the reopening of the sector to continue adhering to the set guidelines and procedures to prevent any risk (of infections), legal as well as health implications, especially when the country is making efforts to enter into the endemic phase by end of October."
The activities allowed to resume in states under Phase 1 of the NRP are as follows;
1. Development and airing of creative content by recording or a live broadcast
2. Recording or live broadcast in the form of presentation; information and entertainment in the presence of an audience that have been fully vaccinated with 30 per cent capacity of the studio space;
3. Indoor or outdoor filming of any creative industry work to individuals who have completed the vaccine;
4. Indoor busking for individuals who have been fully vaccinated;
5. Hotel lounge performances for individuals who have completed vaccination;
6. Cinema activities for individuals who have been fully vaccinated with 50 per cent capacity in cinema screening hall space;
7. Live performance activities such as theatre, musicals, music and comedy on a pre-registered basis, with an audience that have completed vaccinations and occupying 30 per cent capacity of the premises space; and,
8. Art exhibition activities in halls, museums and art galleries by appointment, for visitors who have completed the vaccine with visitor capacity of 30 per cent of the premise space. '