Hollywood’s On-Set Vaccine Mandates to End on May 12

variety.com:

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer After nearly three years, Hollywood’s COVID protocols will come to an end on May 12, meaning that productions will no longer be able to mandate vaccines after that date.

The industry has been gradually relaxing its on-set regulations over the last several months. But with the federal government officially ending its COVID emergency declaration on May 11, the studios and the guilds agreed to scrap the remaining rules as of the following day.

The vaccine mandate has become increasingly controversial over the last couple of months. In February, Woody Harrelson called the protocols “absurd” in an interview with the New York Times. “I don’t think that anybody should have the right to demand that you’re forced to do the testing, forced to wear the mask and forced to get vaccinated three years on,” he said. “I’m just like, let’s be done with this nonsense.” Tim Robbins echoed that sentiment in a tweet, saying “Woody is right.

Time to end this charade.” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher has also been outspoken against vaccine mandates. In an interview with Variety in February, she said wanted to make sure that “all of my members get an equal opportunity to work.” At the time, she said that about a quarter of productions were mandating vaccines in “Zone A” — which includes actors and those who come in contact with them, like hair stylists and makeup artists.