In this week's In Focus: SoCal, host Tanya McRae looks at how the entertainment industry in Los Angeles continues to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this week, L.A. County Department of Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer called on film and television productions to pause production until the end of the month due to surging numbers. Since the holidays, most productions have been on hiatus, with film permit applications continuing to decline in L.A. since November.
L.A. City Councilman Joe Buscaino discusses how FilmLA is supporting the industry, and how most productions are cooperating with county COVID-19 guidelines on having a compliance officer on set to ensure protocols are followed.
David White, the national executive director of SAG-AFTRA, joins the conversation and shares how the union is supporting both its members who aren't able to work right now and broadcast journalists who are reporting on the pandemic.
McRae also meets the co-founder of PURE Sets, formed at the start of the pandemic, which helps production sets become COVID-19 compliant. They offer four services, including large-scale decontamination, medically-trained personnel to supervise film crew, FDA-approved PPE, and testing.
As the theater industry pivots and adapts to the pandemic, Spectrum News 1's Tara Lynn Wagner looks at what the industry is doing to survive and move forward.
Send us your thoughts at InFocusSocal@charter.com and watch Sundays at 9 a.m. and noon.