The major entertainment industry studios and guilds updated their COVID-19 Safety Agreement, relaxing certain standards in areas like testing and masking in areas of the United States and Canada with “low” COVID hospital admissions.

The changes apply only to places with documented “low” COVID hospital admissions — the first notice does not specify that threshold — and to both vaccinated and unvaccinated cast and crew. According to the notice, pre-employment testing is still needed, but the sorts of tests permitted have been modified. Zones A and B will still require weekly testing during production, but the frequency will be reduced. And, with the exception of shuttle vehicles, masking will not be required in “most” scenarios.

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The statement also adds that if relevant, revisions will include “flexibility” in lunch service and transportation requirements. More information was not immediately available.

Employers in Zone A can continue to require employees to be up to date on their immunizations, including a booster, under the new agreement.

The requirement that productions hire a COVID-19 compliance supervisor is also still in place. Furthermore, employees will continue to receive 10 days of COVID-19 paid sick leave for qualifying reasons such as testing positive, exhibiting symptoms, isolation, or self-quarantine, and when a member of their household tests positive for COVID-19.

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The agreement empowers companies to implement more severe masking and testing standards.

The new agreement will be in effect until July 15.

Though the latest version of the agreement was slated to expire on April 30, multiple guilds declared the night before that both sides had not yet reached an agreement and that talks would continue into the following week, with the prior agreement remaining in effect until further notice.

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The COVID-19 safety agreement establishes the frequency of testing for unionized productions during the pandemic, explains masking and other PPE laws, provides instructions for when a worker tests positive for COVID and specifies the parameters under which a producer might mandate vaccines on set. Since September 2020, the agreement has been in force and set the health criteria for productions, and it has been renewed multiple times since then, occasionally with minor changes to suit changing circumstances.