Hollywood will be back as Gov. Gavin Newsom announces restart

© Jake Blucker

Hollywood and TV productions are set to resume following an announcement by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday.

The governor said that Hollywood productions, music and TV production shoots will be able to resume starting June 12. This follows a recent public letter to Congress by the governor and a number of prominent film industry figures to kickstart the economy with economic measures for local government.

This week’s announcement will be good news for the thousands of production jobs currently halted in the state of California due to coronavirus. The new unlocking will mean that county public health officers will take responsibility for overseeing local coronavirus cases and acting accordingly to allow productions to resume.

In a statement issued by the Governor’s Office on Friday, measures would be put in place to protect vulnerable populations while a comprehensive track and tracing program would be ready to deal with local outbreaks.

In a statement issued by the California Department of Public Health, new workspace guidelines would be published to help businesses reduce the risk of coronavirus transmissions.

“Productions, cast, crew and other industry workers should abide by safety protocols agreed by labor and management, which may be further enhanced by county public health officers. Back office staff and management should adhere to Office Workspace guidelines published by the California Department of Public Health and the California Department of Industrial Relations.”

With film, TV and music productions set to return, there is growing optimism that temporary workers in key sectors will be able to get back to work - boosting the local economy and helping people in financial difficulty.

And with May's record jobs boost for the US economy, there are more signs that an economic rebound for the summer is in the making.

Have you been affected by productions being halted in California? Share your experiences with us: @filminetwork