It looks liked the coronavirus pandemic is finally slowing down, which means the world can resume its previously scheduled programming in a short while. Actually, much sooner than that. According to The Hollywood Reporter, California Governor Gavin Newsom revealed that all film and TV production can recommence on June 12.
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“Music, TV and film production may resume in California, recommended no sooner than June 12, 2020, and subject to approval by county public health officers within the jurisdictions of operations following their review of local epidemiological data including cases per 100,000 population, rate of test positivity, and local preparedness to support a health care surge, vulnerable populations, contact tracing and testing,” the California Department of Public Health said in a statement via the Governor’s Office on Friday. “To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, productions, cast, crew and other industry workers should abide by safety protocols agreed by labor and management, which may be further enhanced by county public health officers. Back office staff and management should adhere to Office Workspace guidelines published by the California Department of Public Health and the California Department of Industrial Relations, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.”
Per the article, the Industry-Wide Labor-management Safety Committee Task Force, which includes the likes of AMPTP, SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild, IATSE and the Teamsters, submitted a 22-page document to state governments across the country with recommended protocols for “how to restart production while minimizing the risk of spreading COVID-19.”
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These protocols weren’t made known in the report, though an example from Tyler Perry’s Atlanta studios was mentioned — the cast of Perry’s TV shows Sistas and The Oval would be tested for the virus with nasal swabs before arriving on set, self-isolate for 16 days, travel on private jets and undergo more testing when they arrive in Atlanta.
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