Measures for culture and arts venues unveiled
ANKARA – Anadolu Agency
The Culture and Tourism Ministry has announced a series of measures to be implemented in cultural and arts venues during the normalization phase of the coronavirus outbreak to stop the spread of the disease.
The rules for those venues have been sent to tourism professionals and the Cinema Hall Investors Association with a notice signed by Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.
According to the notice, all facilities will organize their own “Action and Social Distancing Plans” in line with the rules set out by the Health Ministry’s Coronavirus Science Board.
At the entrances to the facilities, hand sanitizers will be installed and thermal cameras will measure body temperatures. People with body temperatures over 38 degrees will not be allowed to enter and audiences without masks on will be not allowed in.
Physical distancing will be followed staunchly, with the capacity of the halls to be indicated at entrances. People will be required to stand one meter apart from each other on elevators, while cloakroom services will only be allowed if there is enough social distancing space.
There will be signs inside the halls, information centers, cloakrooms, cafes, parking places and toilets showing the social distancing rules.
There will be a separator between customers and the cashier, who will be required to put on a transparent face shield. Valet parking personnel will wear masks and was their hands before and after each service and will not be allowed to wear gloves.
Performance halls will have to be clean and ready 30 minutes before each performance, and there must be enough time before an event begins to let audiences enter the hall in pairs or small groups.
In exhibitions, foyers and fairs, there must be only one person per meter square. In meetings, people will be asked to observe the rule of keeping the one-meter distance from other individuals.
The schedule of events at cinemas, theaters and concerts will be arranged within social distancing rules. According to these rules, the end of an event must not overlap with the beginning of another event in order to prevent crowds forming in halls. If the venue has more than one hall, not all of them will be allowed to be open, as only the minimum number of them will be permitted to hold events.
The audience will have to sit a seat apart from each other, with only 60 percent of a hall’s capacity to be filled. If beverages and food are allowed inside, like in cinemas, audiences will be asked to sit two seats apart from each other.
Social distancing rules will not be applied to members of the same family coming to watch a performance.
Rules will be applied for performers too, with the minimum number of performers to take stage, and rehearsals and backstage will be rearranged to hold few people in order to prevent any transmission of the infectious disease.
Visitors will no longer be allowed backstage to meet the performers, who will, along with personnel, frequently undergo health checks and people they’ve been in touch with will be tracked in the event of a COVID-19-positive case.
After each performance, armrests of seats will be disinfected and toilets will be cleaned with bleaches. All surfaces, including door handles, card machines and floors, will thoroughly be cleaned with bleaches and detergents.
Air conditioners, washing machines and dish washers will have to be sterilized periodically. Hand driers will be removed, as visitors will dry their hands with tissues. Doors and windows will be kept opened frequently to let fresh air circulate in venues.
