File Photo: Agencies.

SANTIAGO, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chile's Minister of Economy, Development and Tourism, Lucas Palacios, on Wednesday announced the reopening of theaters under strict social distancing rules, as part of a plan to recover jobs and reactivate the economy amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

"This strategy that we are taking as a government, to make the decrease in infections compatible with the opening of different sectors of the economy, through rigorous sanitary measures, protects people from being infected and allows them to return to their places of work," Palacios said at the San Gines Cultural Center.

"We have done it in construction, we have done it in cinemas, we have done it in theaters, we have done it with trade, we have done it in different sectors of the economy and we will continue on this road," he added.

Palacios stressed the importance of reactivating all sectors of the economy, especially those related to entertainment and culture, which represent 318,000 jobs in Chile.

Theaters must cap occupancy to a maximum capacity of 50 percent, sell tickets in advance online, and ensure a meter of distance between customers, among other measures.