COVID Alarm! Section 144 imposed in the vicinity of Kochi's movie halls to deter crowds

Theatres to open from January 5 in Kerala

The Kochi Police has imposed Section 144 in the vicinity of the city's theatres after large crowds were seen thronging the place after theatres reopened for screening on Wednesday.

"It has been noticed that the crowds are mostly young people. They should remember that in the case of COVID spread, it is the lives of the elderly at home who would be at risk," the City Police Commissioner CH Nagaraju warned.

Section 144 prohibits the assembly of four or more people. It is imposed in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger of some extent that has the potential to cause trouble or damage to human life and property.

It is not clear how long the order will remain. In any case, no order can remain for longer than two months. However, the State government may extend the validity for up to six months.

Theatres across the state were shut on March 11, 2020, in the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak. The State government had on Monday announced an assistance package (to waive the entertainment tax and to offer a 50 per cent reduction on electricity charges during the lockdown period) to help the ailing film industry which employs over 25,000 people, directly and indirectly.

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.