Hollywood’s Covid-19 safety protocols have been extended to January 15. The protocols, which had been set to expire on Oct. 31, include testing and vaccination mandates.
Established in September 2020 by an agreement between the AMPTP and Hollywood’s unions – the DGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, the Teamsters and the Basic Crafts – the return-to-work protocols had originally been set to expire on April 30, but were extended with no major modifications and contained all of the original agreement’s provisions, including strictly enforced testing regimens, physical distancing, Covid compliance officers, diligent use of personal protective equipment and a “Zone” system to ensure that different sections of productions are tightly controlled based on proximity to cast, who often can’t wear masks or maintain social distancing while working.
See the protocols here.
Vaccinations as a condition of employment were first allowed last July when producers were given “the option to implement mandatory vaccination policies for casts and crew in Zone A on a production-by-production basis.” Zone A, where unmasked actors work, is the most restrictive of the safe work zones on sets.
Labor and management agree that the protocols have enabled jobs and productions to safely rebound during the pandemic.