Hollywood studios can require COVID vaccines for actors, crews under new union pact

A new pact between Hollywood unions and studios allows producers to require that actors and crews on some sets be required to have a COVID-19 vaccination.

The deal comes as cases again begin to spiral upward in Los Angeles and across the nation as the highly contagious delta coronavirus variant spreads.

The agreement, reached between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and several Hollywood unions including those representing actors and directors, expires Oct. 1 unless extended, The Wrap said.

It allows producers to mandate COVID vaccines for actors and crew who work on sets with the most close contact, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

But the new rules also ease set restrictions on face masks and meals for those who are fully vaccinated, the publication said. An earlier union deal on COVID limitations expired June 30 but was extended into the summer.

More than 191 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide with more than 4 million deaths as of July 20, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 34 million confirmed cases with more than 609,000 deaths.

Los Angeles County has had more than 1.2 million confirmed cases and more than 24,500 deaths from the pandemic.

States began easing pandemic restrictions in the spring as three vaccines became available and cases declined, but a new variant of the virus has sparked a resurgence in cases.

The delta variant, first recorded in India, is more contagious and increases disease severity such as risks of hospitalization. The COVID-19 vaccines used in the United States are effective against it, but some areas of the nation still have very low vaccination rates.

This story was originally published July 20, 2021 at 11:42 AM with the headline "Hollywood studios can require COVID vaccines for actors, crews under new union pact."