The entertainment industry’s COVID protocols will stay in place for now, as the unions announced an extension on Friday night.
On Friday night, the protocols that have been in effect for two years were due to expire. The industry unions — including SAG-AFTRA, IATSE and the Directors Guild of America — have been negotiating an update to the rules with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
“The current Agreement, which was previously scheduled to expire today, Sept. 30, will remain in place until a new Agreement is reached,”In a joint statement, the unions stated their views.
In May, the two sides reached an agreement to relax the testing requirements and allow workers without masks to use the facilities. In Los Angeles County, COVID case volumes have experienced a slight rise and then a slight decline.
L.A. County officials have been easing up on mask requirements for other settings in recent weeks. This includes jails and homeless centers. An indoor mask mandate was considered by the county earlier this summer. However, it was canceled after infection numbers stabilised.
Crews in Hollywood continue to follow the rules that divide production areas into four zones with different rules. Employers can also impose vaccine mandates on Zone A. This includes all actors and those present on set.
The rules also include physical distancing, testing frequency, and other matters. COVID protocols have greatly increased production costs. A study showed that there was an increase of 5% to 6.5% in big budget projects. Other expenses include testing materials, COVID safety officers and quarantine stipends.