Topline
Crew members filming Star Trek: Picard tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday, leading to a halt in production of the show, a source familiar with the situation told Forbes, making it the latest film and TV production to be disrupted by the nationwide coronavirus surge.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 15: Sir Patrick Stewart attends the “Star Trek Picard” UK Premiere at … [+]
Key Facts
More than 50 crew members across different production zones – including Zone A, which represents cast and those that interact closely with them – tested positive for the virus on the first day of production after the holiday break, according to the Hollywood Reporter, which broke the news of the shutdown of the set.
The source declined to tell Forbes how many crew members were affected, but said filming is expected to start up again next week.
Filming of NCIS, which also is produced in Los Angeles, was reportedly paused this week after a cast member or crew mate that interacted with them tested positive for the virus.
Los Angeles County recorded 37,215 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, the highest number since the start of the pandemic.
Key Background
Many shows and films have had to pause filming due to impacts from the coronavirus pandemic, including HBO’s Westworld and FX’s American Horror Story, which halted shoots amid the delta variant surge around late July. Some shows like ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19 and The Rookie and Fox’s 9-1-1 have decided to push back the start date of production due to Covid-19 concerns. A 9-1-1 crew member told the Los Angeles Times that it is cheaper for productions to delay shoots instead of pausing in the middle of production. Many production sets have also adopted practices like separating crew members into zones for contact tracing, and some studios have put in place vaccination requirements for certain crew members.
Further Reading
‘Star Trek: Picard’ Production Paused After More Than 50 Test Positive for COVID-19 (Exclusive) (The Hollywood Reporter)
Covid Surge Reportedly Forces ‘NCIS: LA’ And ‘9-1-1’ To Postpone Production (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimberleespeakman/2022/01/06/covid-19-outbreak-among-star-trek-picard-crew-shuts-down-set/