Government to reopen cinemas to make people happy, boost immunity

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Kompas.com – August 26, 2020
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Covid-19 Handling Task Force spokesperson Wiki Adisasmito – Undagted (Tribune)
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Sania Mashabi, Jakarta – Association of Indonesian Public Health Experts (IAKMI) board member Hermawan Saputra says that it is not the right time for the government to reopen cinemas while the corona virus pandemic or Covid-19 is still not under control.

This is because in several regions, including Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek) large scale social restrictions (PSBB) to prevent the spread of Covid-19 are still in place.

“I don’t think it’s the right time because PSBB is still being applied in Jakarta as well as Jabodetabek”, Saputra told Kompas.com on Wednesday August 26.

Saputra believes that the opening of cinemas has the potential to significantly increase the spread of Covid-19 in Indonesia.

Cinemas, he explained, are closed spaces which have a low temperature and this can in fact increase the potential spread of Covid-19. “The potential [for spreading corona] will in fact increase further, right”, he said.

Earlier, Covid-19 Handing Task Force spokesperson Professor Wiku Adisasmito said that opening cinemas will contribute to increasing people’s immunity against the corona virus.

Basically if people feel happy watching a film at the cinema this feeling of happiness will have an influence on increasing the body’s impunity and reduce the risk of being infected by Covid-19.

“Because cinemas do indeed have an important characteristic and contribution, primarily in providing entertainment to the public because people’s immunity increases because they are happy or the mental and physical atmosphere of society improves”, he said on the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) YouTube channel on Wednesday August 26.

Because of this, the Covid-19 Handling Task Force is in the process of preparing to reopen cinemas soon.

Later, cinema staff and movie goers must apply health protocols. It will be obligatory to wear masks while in the cinema area and maintain a distance of 1.5 metres between audience members.

“At a later time it will be pursued and is being pursued, monitoring and evaluation must be conducted properly so that everything is really safe and runs smoothly”, said Adisasmito.

[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “Pemerintah akan Buka Bioskop, Ahli: Waktunya Belum Pas”.]

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/08/26/18531211/pemerintah-akan-buka-bioskop-ahli-waktunya-belum-pas

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