COVID-19 has rewritten the safety script for TV and film productions resuming around the country. As cameras begin to roll again, the top production locations of New York, Los Angeles and Georgia have issued COVID-19 screening and testing guidance for TV and film.
The guidelines are shaped by recommendations from entertainment trade organizations. For example, “The Safe Way Forward” guidance from DGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE and Teamsters’ Committees recommends some personnel be tested at least three times weekly. Additionally, the document suggests daily testing for cast and crew involved in scenes requiring close or intimate contact.
Compliance can prove daunting, especially for smaller productions or tight schedules that can’t afford a long wait for testing results. However, without proper precautions, a single infection could trigger a costly delay, or worse, shutter an entire production.
Mobile Health’s COVID-19 screening and testing program adapts to the needs of individual media productions. Experienced clinicians frame a screening and testing solution that keeps projects on track and in compliance. Medical personnel can provide temperature screens and COVID-19 PCR tests on set for large groups, or at one of 2,700+ Mobile Health locations nationwide. Its online health questionnaire and data platform simplify daily check-ins, and timely test results won’t hold up production.
In fact, Mobile Health has been performing this role for decades, as a longtime provider of screening and testing services for communicable diseases in New York and around the country. The occupational health provider is well rehearsed in providing COVID-19 services to hospitality, day camps, and other industries.
State-by-State Specifics
Mobile Health services align with COVID-19 guidance for media production from top scouted regions. Of the three, New York issued the strictest standards, mandating the following:
- Pre-production COVID-19 testing and weekly testing thereafter for cast, crew and any workers in close proximity;
- Daily health screenings, by questionnaire if possible;
- Screening and testing conducted by trained individuals familiar with CDC, DOH, and OSHA protocols.
Los Angeles guidelines are strict but less specific, requiring regular, periodic diagnostic testing of cast and crew and a designated COVID-19 Compliance Officer. Los Angeles also requires worker symptom check-ins (in-person or online) and forbids buffet catering or indoor dining.
Georgia’s non-binding best practices leave diagnostic testing decisions to companies, guilds, unions, and other stakeholders. However, they suggest cast and crew undergo temperature screenings at the start of each day and when entering the set.
Besides health screens and diagnostic testing, all guidelines designate PPE use, disinfection measures, and a clearly defined response to positive COVID-19 cases.
Mobile Health Keeps Cameras Rolling
Mobile Health reduces the drama of COVID-19 screening and testing for media production. Tight deadline? With one call, we expedite worker temperature screens diagnostic testing, and results delivery. Filming in multiple locations? We dispatch mobile units anywhere in the country to screen and test large productions, from top talent to production assistants. Contact us today, and a Mobile Health Account Manager will script a COVID-19 program that protects your cast, crew and creative vision.
Tags: California, COVID-19, COVID-19 test, film production, Georgia, media production, motion picture production, New York
