The latest extension to Hollywood’s COVID-19 safety agreement loosens protocols when COVID-19 hospital admissions are low.
The two-tiered agreement, first put into effect in September 2020, establishes strict protocols (listed under “Part I” of the agreement) when a production is staged in a county or metropolitan area with 14 or more hospital admissions for COVID-19 per 100,000 people. Under that threshold, less stringent protocols take effect (under “Part II”).
On Friday, industry unions announced that, in areas with low COVID-19 hospital admissions, productions can soon end pre-employment testing for employees working in Zones “B” and “C,” away from principal performers. The new changes also nix requirements that workers in Zone B test weekly for the virus, now only requiring producers to provide a COVID-19 test upon request if one of those crew members comes into close contact with someone who has contracted the illness. According to the union coalition, no changes were made to Part I of the agreement, which takes effect when COVID-19 hospital admissions are high.
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This version of the agreement will be in effect through April 1. The previous agreement was set to expire Jan. 31.
“At this time, most production areas are working under Part II of the agreement or expected to be shortly,” a host of unions — including the Directors Guild of America, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, the Teamsters and the Hollywood Basic Crafts — said in their statement. “However, should conditions change with a new surge in cases, the proven effective stronger protocols would be required.” The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represent studios in negotiations over the agreement, confirmed the news on Friday.
Notably, the latest agreement also ends an obligation for COVID-19 compliance supervisors to be present on set, “provided that a member of the compliance team is accessible at all times during working hours.” The contract extension moreover adds five additional days to workers’ bank of COVID-19 sick days.
Los Angeles County health officials on Friday loosened their recommendation that the public wear masks indoors at a moment when COVID-19 transmission rates remain low county-wide. The Los Angeles Times reported on Friday that weekly case rates dropped below 100 last week and have continued to decline.
