Netflix is reportedly set to make Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory for actors on their US shows and films.
Deadline reports that the streaming giant has made the vaccines mandatory for actors on their productions in the United States of America, along with those who come into contact with actors on the set.
It is noted that Hollywood unions and large studios last week agreed to the option to "implement mandatory vaccination policies for casts and crew in Zone A on a production-by-production basis."
The publication notes that Starz/UCP series Gaslit already made a similar ruling for its production, but Netflix will be making this move across all US productions.
It is also noted that Netflix is planning to "keep exceptions very rare, limited to medical, religious or age reasons and possibly in a few cases for series and films that are already in production."
It is unknown at present whether the vaccine requirement will extend beyond the "Zone A" group that consists of actors and close contacts on set.
The Mirror has reached out to Netflix for comment on this story.
The report comes as the US experiences a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections, driven by the Delta variant of the virus that has proven to be a highly transmissible variant of coronavirus.
Amid the recent surge of Covid-19 cases in the UK in recent weeks - albeit which appears to be dropping now - productions in the UK were interrupted by individuals needing to isolate.
One of the shows to be hit by the virus is Netflix's hugely popular costume drama Bridgerton which was forced to pause filming on its second season earlier this month for a second time, Deadline reported.
A source told The Sun about the f irst pause in filming : "It’s also a headache for producers because removing cast or crew and putting them into isolation means they have to be replaced at short notice, and that’s not always possible.
"Netflix have gone to great lengths to ensure all the relevant measures are in place on Bridgerton, but this just goes to show how difficult it is for such a large set to be completely Covid-secure."
It remains to be seen if Netflix will adopt a mandatory approach to vaccines for productions based in the UK.
What do you think of this decision being made by Netflix? Let us know in the comments below.
