The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) recently issued the following COVID-19 Task Force update on May 8. You can read the post in full below, as well as on FSC’s blog here.

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The FSC COVID-19 Task Force has had several meetings to discuss the benchmarks for lifting the production hold and the guidance needed to safely resume production under a continued threat of contagion.

Earlier this week, we sent out a link to a survey. The goal was to get a better understanding of [community] needs and concerns when it comes to the idea of resuming production. We’ve received over 400 responses so far, with nearly 200 requests to be involved in the Task Force. Next week, we’ll start holding small group discussions with those wanting to be involved.

Production Hold

The production hold related to coronavirus will remain in effect until further notice. It is neither safe to shoot, nor legally permitted under local government orders.

When FSC called for a production hold in response to the coronavirus pandemic, it was aligned with orders from public health agencies calling for the closure of all non-essential businesses. Various regions are already implementing a phased approach to easing restrictions, but non-essential businesses like entertainment production are not in the first phases of most plans.

On-Set Safety

The biggest question after WHEN is HOW. What changes will have to be made to adult film sets in order to keep talent and crew safe? To answer this question and produce guidance that is based in science, FSC is engaging the services of a professional environmental health and safety consulting firm. An industrial hygienist will develop a Production Health and Safety Plan (PHSP) to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection and transmission on production sets. The plan will include guidelines in areas like: physical space considerations, physical distancing, cleaning and disinfecting, sanitation and hygiene, personal protective equipment (PPE), health screening and testing considerations, and procedures for addressing sickness and exposure. Once the Task Force has this guidance, we will again seek feedback from those who work in production.

COVID-19 Testing

When production resumes, testing for COVID-19 will be an important part of the safety measures for returning to work. 

Labs in the FSC PASS network will soon be able to provide COVID-19 testing for talent and crew. As each lab makes the COVID-19 test available, they will add it to the PASS test panel and use it as part of the criteria for clearance to work once shooting resumes.

Please be aware: a biweekly COVID-19 test is not effective in guarding against on-set transmission of the coronavirus, and is of limited use in determining on-set risk to talent and crew. 

The addition of the test to PASS is an interim measure agreed to by the medical directors of the lab networks. Once the Task Force has the report from the industrial hygienist, and clearer input from our panel of medical experts, we will determine how COVID-19 testing can be best implemented for adult sets.

Regardless of the availability of COVID-19 testing, the production hold remains in effect.