Most US entertainment productions to remain on hold till mid-January, SAG-AFTRA announces

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), an American labour union, has made an announcement regarding production work amid rising cases of COVID-19. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the labour union has decided to put most of the production work on hold until mid-January. The decision has been taken in view of the recent surge in COVID-19 infections and lack of intensive care unit (ICU) beds in California and particularly in Los Angeles County. “Most entertainment productions will remain on hiatus until the second or third week of January if not later,” the magazine reported citing a statement by SAG-AFTRA’s president Gabrielle Carteris and national executive director David White. In line with its plan, the SAG-AFTRA has reduced the number of performers working on sets. It has called on all its members to wash hands and maintain social distancing, besides adhering to other safety principles to protect themselves. Deadline reported that the statement by the labour union came in the wake of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health urging the film and TV industry to put production on a hiatus for a few weeks because of the prevailing COVID-19 situation. “Although music, TV and film productions are allowed to operate, we ask you to strongly consider pausing work for a few weeks during this catastrophic surge in Covid cases,” Deadline reported citing a statement by the health department. The health department also asked the film and TV industry to delay the high-risk work and continue with the lower-risk work for now. According to nbclosangeles.com, Los Angeles County on Wednesday recorded its highest single-day tally of COVID-19 deaths. The COVID-19 fatalities crossed the 10,000-mark. Around 150 people are losing their lives to COVID-19 in the County. Yesterday, 274 people died of COVID-19 in the area. “Most heartbreaking is that if we had done a better job reducing transmission of the virus, many of these deaths would not have happened,” the news website quoted County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer as saying.