Some of TV productions' COVID changes may outlast the pandemic

The New York Times

"The unions representing cast and crew members have been in negotiations with the major studios to extend the return-to-work agreement they reached in September establishing safety protocols," reports The New York Times' Matt Stevens. "Industry insiders said that they believe the current agreement, which expires as the end of the month, would simply be extended — with changes on the margins — in the short-term. But they also said that as the share of vaccinated Americans increases, studios could eventually require workers to get vaccinated, and seek to significantly lower the amount of required testing for some workers who are currently tested at least three times a week. Other aspects of the agreement could be overhauled as well. But some changes could outlast the pandemic. Just as the nature of schooling and office work has been transformed as millions have learned to function remotely, television has adapted as well, with showrunners, actors and crews all forced to innovate, tweak and change."