California Dept. of Public Health Announces Return to Film Production as of June 12

On June 5 (yesterday), the California Department of Public Health provided its guidance that music, TV and film production can resume in California as of June 12, 2020.   The state approval is subject to further approval by county public health officers following their review of local epidemiological data including cases per 100,000 population, rate of test positivity, and local preparedness to support a health care surge, vulnerable populations, contact tracing and testing.

According to the state CDPH website, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, productions, cast, crew and other industry workers should abide by safety protocols agreed by labor and management, which may be further enhanced by county public health officers.  Back office staff and management should adhere to Office Workspace guidelines published by the California Department of Public Health and the California Department of Industrial Relations, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Such enhancements as CDPH refers to include the white paper released be the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee Task Force associated with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (“AMPTP”).   That white paper entitled “Proposed Health and Safety Guidelines for Motion Picture, Television, and Streaming Productions During the COVID-19 Pandemic was published on June 1, 2020.   For the convenience of our clients, that white paper is available here:    AMPTP COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidelines