LOS ANGELES—As film and TV production resumes and COVID-19 cases continue to mount in some parts of the country, the craft unions and producers have announced a tentative short term agreement on adjustments to the COVID-19 Safety Agreement reflecting vaccines and other scientific advances.
“The modifications center on workplace practices for fully vaccinated cast and crew, including changes to outdoor masking requirements and updated mealtime protocols,” the producers and unions announced. “Producers will also have the option to implement mandatory vaccination policies for casts and crew in Zone A on a production-by-production basis. Additional changes, such as adjustments to testing frequency, are included for certain areas in the United States and Canada where COVID-19 incidence is, and remains, very low.”
The agreement involved the Directors Guild of America (DGA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) and the Basic Crafts, and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), together with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP).
The agreement will remain in effect through September 30, 2021. The parties also stressed that they will continue closely monitoring COVID-19 developments and will consider further modifications at that time.
The COVID-19 Safety Agreement was first enacted in September 2020 after a months-long production shutdown and has been used to minimize the risk of COVID-19 virus transmission.
