While the federal government continues to leave many of their Covid protocols in place, the state of New York has opened up and is allowing full capacity at venues and restaurants.
Among those venues are the theatres of Broadway and Off Broadway.
On July 2, the union Actors’ Equity Association has issued new guidelines for the production crews; including guidelines for fully vaccinated productions.
In an update from previously issued guidelines which include standards for ventilation and a Covid safety manager (officer); the new guidelines fully vaccinated crews will need only one safety manager, but productions with unvaccinated members will have to have one safety manager for each 20 cast and crew. The safety managers are responsible for overseeing compliance of all protocols that include symptom monitoring, sanitization, ventilation, and contact tracing.
After being out of work for over a year, actors and crews are anxious to get back to work. The new guidelines also require companies to compensate workers for time off to get their shots and sick pay for anyone experiencing symptoms of side effects from those shots.
Covid testing for fully vaccinated productions have been eased but for productions with unvaccinated cast or crew each person must be tested three times before work begins and at least once a week once in person work begins.
The new list of guidelines are for the production crews and cast members; however, each theater may issue its own mandates on what rules will be required for audience members. Currently the state of New York does not require fully vaccinated people to wear a face covering or practice social distancing in most environments.
Audience members will not be permitted to go backstage or gather at the stage door and must be seated at least 10 feet from the stage.
The new production guidelines are in place until September 30.