California Department of Public Health Issues Production Protocols Guidance

California Department of Public Health Issues Production Protocols Guidance

On June 5, 2020, the California Department of Public Health issued guidance for the resumption of film and television production. The guidance is brief and defers final approval as to when production may resume to county health officers. Specifically, the State's guidance gives county health officers the ability to decide when production may resume based on improvements in "local epidemiological data," such as the number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 individuals and the rate of positive COVID-19 tests. The State also acknowledged that health, safety, and sanitation protocols for film and television production must be developed and agreed upon by production management and applicable labor groups, with the caveat that county health officials may impose stricter protocols with which productions must comply. Finally, the State’s guidance notes that a production's back office staff and management must abide by its "Office Workspace" guidelines.