Actors’ Equity Pauses Safety Plans For Reopening Live Theater In California Amid Covid-19 Surge

This is how long the COVID-19 lockdown has been going on in Southern California: Actress Ariel Winter celebrated boyfriend Luke Benward‘s May 12, 2020 birthday with a drive-by party so friends could give him their best wishes while still social distancing from their cars. Eight long months later, the tables are turned, with Luke helping Ariel celebrate turning 23 via a rooftop picnic at their Los Angeles area home.

Elaine Low Senior TV WriterSAG-AFTRA, the Producers Guild of America and the Joint Policy Committee have jointly agreed to lift their recommendation to pause commercial and independent production in Southern California, effective Monday, Feb. 1.

The recommendation to temporarily halt commercial and independent film production in Southern California, issued on January 3 by SAG-AFTRA, the Producers Guild and the Joint Policy Committee of the advertising industry, has been lifted, effective Monday, February 1.

Officials with the California Department of Public Health have lifted the stay-at-home order for all counties amid signs that Covid-19 is spreading at a slower rate across the state.

Phil Spector was like “a bad marriage” in the wake of his death. The revolutionary music producer, who was serving a jail sentence for murdering actor Lana Clarkson, died on Saturday (16 January), aged 81.

With COVID-19 cases showing no sign of abating, organizers of Hollywood awards shows and global film festivals are grappling with whether to postpone or scuttle their planned industry events. On Jan.

“This very clearly is the latest surge for the winter holidays and New Year’s.” That was Los Angeles Public Health Chief Science Officer Dr. Paul Simon on Friday. “It’s likely to continue over the next week or two. We do expect these numbers continue to be high over the next couple weeks,” he said.

Andi Dorfman is not turning back. Ever since she left New York City for sunny California in June 2020, the former Bachelorette, 33, has been loving her life on the west coast.

Acknowledging that California has repeatedly missed its stated Covid-19 vaccination targets, Governor Gavin Newsom made a bold commitment on Friday.

The Fab Four are getting back together. According to Us Weekly, Prince William and Kate Middleton will visit Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in California in 2021 after travel restrictions are lifted. Looks like their “royal rift” is over, after all.

Sundance Film Festival has cancelled its 2021 drive-in screenings in Southern California as the region continues to see a record-breaking surge in coronavirus cases.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterThe Sundance Film Festival will not move forward with drive-in movie screenings in Southern California, due to the state’s alarming increase in COVID-19 infections and deaths, Variety has learned exclusively.Los Angeles-area venues the Rose Bowl Stadium and the Mission Tiki Drive-in were meant to accommodate a large number of show business types who are unable to travel to the festival’s Park City, Utah home this year — but given the staggering rate of infection

On Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced what should have been good news: The state’s number of new daily cases dropped to 29,633. That’s down more than 20,000 since the state hit its all-time high of 53,711 on December 15 and substantially lower than the 7-day average of about 37,000.

California ended the first weekend of the new year with more than 45,000 new cases of the novel coronavirus as hospitals in the state continue to be overwhelmed.  California on Sunday recorded 45,352 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to date to more than 2.3 million, per estimates from the COVID Tracking Project.  Coronavirus-related hospitalizations are continuing to increase as well, with California recording 21,510 current hospitalizations also as of Sunday.

Elaine Low Senior TV WriterAmid surging COVID-19 cases in Southern California following the holidays, SAG-AFTRA, the Producers Guild of America and the Joint Policy Committee are together recommending a “temporary hold on in-person production in Southern California.” Together, the organizations represent thousands of actors, producers, commercial advertisers and ad agencies.“Southern California hospitals are facing a crisis the likes of which we have never seen before,” said SAG-AFTRA president

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” will stay dark next week amid the growing alarm about rising COVID-19 infection rates in Los Angeles County and the rest of California.The syndicated daytime talk show has been airing reruns since Dec. 10 when DeGeneres announced that she had contracted the coronavirus.

Shia LaBeouf and Margaret Qualley took their romance to the streets for a joint jog after his ex-girlfriend FKA twigs accused him of abuse.The Even Stevens alum, 34, and the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actress, 26, were spotted out in his Pasadena, California, neighborhood on Tuesday, December 29, for an early morning run. In contrast to their recent outings, the pair did not show PDA.LaBeouf wore a black jacket and black joggers with matching sneakers and a green baseball cap.

California Covid-19 Update: Governor Gavin Newsom announced a phased reopening plan for the state’s schools.