DKI Deputy Governor Dares To Guarantee The Cinema Is Safer from COVID-19 Than Offices, Airplanes, and Restaurants

JAKARTA - Deputy Governor of DKI, Ahmad Riza Patria, said that the risk of transmitting COVID-19 in cinemas is lower than several other places or activities. 

"To be honest, cinemas are safer (from COVID-19 transmission) than planes, offices, and restaurants," said Riza at the City Hall of DKI, Central Jakarta, Friday, September 4.

Riza said that the risk of transmission on an airplane is bigger because the room is narrow and the seats between passengers are close together.  Also, the air inside the aircraft is closed, so the virus concentration is high.

Then, in offices and restaurants, many people do not follow COVID-19 prevention protocols. Most of them remove their masks and sit in a close distance.

In the office, they often take off their masks and do not keep their distance because they feel familiar with those around them. While in restaurants, people should remove their masks because they must be eating.

"If the cinema, people face the screen in one direction. The health protocol works. Hand sanitizers are provided, there is temperature checking, people wear masks, and are prohibited from chatting," explained Riza.

Furthermore, after the government re-open cinemas, Riza admitted that he didn't know when the cinema management would resume operating its business. Currently, they are still finalizing the operating procedures for cinemas during this transitional PSBB period.

"We have met with cinema managers. Now the protocol is being refined, regarding the regulatory policy," said the Gerindra Party politician.

DKI Jakarta Governor, Anies Baswedan, confirmed that soon, the cinemas in Jakarta will reopen. It has been agreed upon between the DKI Provincial Government and the COVID-19 Handling Task Force.

There are several reasons Anies allowed the opening of cinemas in the middle of COVID-19.  Anies said cinema has its uniqueness.

First, the audiences usually don't talk to each other when watching a film in the theater room. It is different when in cafes and restaurants, where visitors chat with each other.

"In the cinema, everyone is silent. If there is a conversation, then the conversation is between people who know each other. There are rarely conversations between strangers," said Anies.

Then, when the audience chats with a familiar person, their position will be in one direction: the screen. 

"Everyone is talking in the same direction, not face to face interactions. This is a unique nature of the activity," said Anies.

Besides that, it is about setting up the place. At the cinema, the manager can arrange seats for the audience. In contrast to open-air shows, where there is a potential crowd because there are no seating arrangements.