Hollywood’s unions have agreed to extend the film and TV industry’s current Covid safety protocols until a new agreement can be reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The extension, which is through July 15, 2022, was agreed to by the DGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, the Teamsters and the Basic Crafts.
The new agreement creates a more flexible set of protocols for areas of the United States and Canada with low COVID hospital admissions, while maintaining core elements to keep sets safe. The modifications apply only to areas that have confirmed low Covid hospital admissions, leaving largely in place the requirements for areas experiencing surging admission rates. These new workplace practices apply to both vaccinated and unvaccinated cast and crew.
The new agreement, which can be found here
The agreement allows employers to impose more stringent requirements regarding masking and testing as the production circumstances require.
First enacted in September 2020 after a months-long production shutdown, the Covid-19 Safety Agreement is the outcome of unprecedented coordination and solidarity between the unions and collaboration with Employers to develop science-based protocols that minimize the risk of Covid-19 virus transmission in the industry’s unique work environments. Since that time, the protocols have driven a successful rebound of film and television production while prioritizing safety for casts, crews and all on-set workers.