Cinemas must keep the contact details of their audiences for 28 days in case they need to be reached for contact tracing, according to new guidelines published ahead of the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions on Friday.
In a series of guidelines and “obligatory conditions” for establishments set to re-open on Friday, the government laid out several measures that must be followed by both staff and customers.
The health authorities published five sets of so-called mitigation measures – for museums and cultural places, massage services, Chinese Medicine and acupuncture, indoor cinemas and theatres and tattoo artists’ studios.
The wearing of masks is mandatory in all of the places. Masks have to be worn both by the staff and by visitors.
Cinemas and theatres
The most comprehensive of the five sets is the one covering cinemas and theatres, possibly due to the fact that this will involve groups of people in a confined space for a period of time.
Cinema attendants have been given the right to refuse entry to anyone who appears visibly unwell or has respiratory symptoms. They must also check that those entering the theatres are not running a fever.
As of Friday, records of the contact information – the name and a phone number - of at least one person per party need to be kept for up to 28 days after the show or performance.
“These will only be divulged to an authorised officer in case contact tracing is required. This will enable contact tracing to be carried out should a positive case result among patrons or staff,” the health authorities assured.
And except in the case of families with children and people from the same household, no more than six persons should be allowed to sit together in a group.
Social distancing rules similar to those already in force in other shops and service providers must also be followed, meaning people should sit two metres from each other while operators must also ensure that there are four square metres of space per person, including staff on the premises.
Museums and other cultural places
While most of the measures in place for museums are similar to those in other places, the management team must take some extra precautions in these places.
The number of visitors should be limited and so even museums which have a free entrance will be required to issue tickets with assigned time slots “to avoid crowd gathering and long queues”.
They are also being encouraged to consider gradual reopening of exhibitions, introduce extended opening hours and include opening hours dedicated to those considered vulnerable.
Massage parlours, Chinese medicine and acupuncture
As was the case when nail technicians and hairdressers re-opened their doors on May 22, those providing such services must ensure they sanitise any equipment, chairs, couches, and other surfaces after every client.
Prior to an appointment, the service providers must call up clients to make sure they did not have any COVID-19 symptoms in the past week.
No beverages or refreshments should be provided.
Tattoo artists’ studios
The same regulations as those providing massage services are also in place for those re-opening their tattoo parlours. In addition, tattoo artists should also provide information about services, prices, aftercare and any follow-ups electronically, over the phone or through virtual consultations to avoid handing out leaflets, papers or appointment cards.