It’s the new year. TV and film productions have started to resume production even after the omicron variant of the novel coronavirus started to emerge mid-December, when productions were about to go on hiatus. Multiple coronavirus infections on productions even reportedly shut some productions down early.
Since then, the omicron variant has become the dominant strain of the novel coronavirus in the United States, and it has proven to be more contagious than the delta variant, even infecting those reportedly fully vaccinated and boosted.
Time to Go Back to Stand-In Work?
Now, many stand-ins face going back to work in this suddenly evolved pandemic climate.
Under the Return to Work Agreement (RTWA), on most TV/film productions, stand-ins are permitted to wear masks essentially all of the time. As of last July, the RTWA permitted the removal of face coverings when working outdoors.
The RTWA is facing renegotiation later this month amid the prevalence of the highly contagious omicron variant. It is unclear whether the RTWA will be rolled back despite omicron, tightened up because of omicron, stay largely the same, or be renegotiated in some different way among the AMPTP, SAG-AFTRA, and other labor unions.
Stand-In Central Wants to Hear from You (A Poll)
No matter what successor agreement the RTWA parties reach, at Stand-In Central, we want to gauge your level of concern about the omicron variant when working as a stand-in.
Admittedly, we’re more concerned about omicron than about prior variants, given how contagious omicron reportedly is, given it may get past both boosts and full vaccinations, and given how it might more greatly threaten you to test positive, leaving you out of stand-in work.
But maybe you are a stand-in who doesn’t share the same concern about omicron on your job?
In poll below, we attempt to assess how omicron might affect your work as a stand-in. We invite you to submit your vote in this online poll:
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