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COVID -19 Health & Safety Protocols

As of April 10, 2021, Utah remains in a Public Health Order. Grand and San Juan counties are in the MODERATE Levels of Transmission. Read more about the specific instructions and guidelines in these areas here.

Key Facts from the Public Health Order are:

  • Face masks are recommended in all indoor and outdoor public areas where social distancing is not possible. Refer to the COVID-19 Transmission Index for specific instructions in each county

  • Film industry does not fall under gathering size restrictions, but social distancing must be observed at all practical times.

  • There are no COVID-19 travel restrictions in the state of Utah. Visitors to Utah or those returning home to Utah after traveling are not required to quarantine upon arrival.

  • Individuals who have symptoms of COVID-19 are able to get tested in Utah. There are several local companies which offer rapid COVID-19 testing for film productions. You can contact our office for more information.

Please refer to the COVID-19 Business Manual that any production must implement to manage the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Additionally, an industry-wide task force made up of US studios, guilds, unions, and other stakeholders has issued a 22-page white paper establishing safety protocols for production to resume amid COVID-19, as well as The Safe Way Forward, a joint report of the DGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE and Teamsters’ Committees for COVID-19 Safety Guidelines.

Please note, individual productions may need to adapt the guidelines to specific circumstances, but the overall intent of these guidelines should be applied in all cases. These guidelines are expected to evolve as government requirements change and as industry experience informs best practice. 

We will continue to update this page with resources from the film industry as they become available. Click on box for:

PERMITTING

In this current state of flux, health departments across the state are still addressing what the COVID-19 transmission index means for their area and how that will affect the business operations of several different industries, including film. 

At this time, film permitting across the state will consider several factors including, but not limited to, a production company’s COVID-19 guidelines to be implemented for cast, crew and general public safety that would need to be shared with the local health department for approval. Operational protocols should also include increased hygiene and sanitization, production provided PPE masks and gloves worn by all off-camera cast/crew, strict social distancing measures, meticulous monitoring of symptoms of cast/crew/ATL, etc.

Please check the State and Local Orders and Directives for current information about statewide standards.

Currently, the National Parks in Utah are open on a limited basis. Utah’s State Parks are open with some restrictions in place. Any filming requests in these areas would be considered on a case by case/park by park basis. For other federal lands in Utah, please check the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management before filming in these areas.

Whether private residences and businesses will allow filming would be of their own determination as long as the guidelines set forth by the state and local health departments are adhered to by the production. Check the Film Location Database for more information about available filming locations.

As we begin to develop specific guidelines for the Utah film industry, here are some organizations that have developed best practices to consider as you begin to ramp up production.

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