50% occupancy limit should not be breached, says Madurai Bench The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday took note of the fact that crowds were gathering at cinema theatres for hours together to buy tickets for the Pongal film releases without maintaining physical distance or wearing face masks. It directed the State government and the theatre owners to ensure that COVID-19 guidelines were strictly followed. The government submitted that the order allowing 100% occupancy in theatres had been revoked and a fresh order had been issued to allow 50% occupancy in compliance with the guidelines issued by the Union government. Permission for extra shows had been granted, with the welfare of the theatre owners kept in mind, Advocate-General Vijay Narayan said.