4/10/2020 Update: Coronavirus Production Hold to Remain in Place Until Further Notice — Free Speech Coalition (original) (raw)

4/10/2020 Update: Coronavirus Production Hold to Remain in Place Until Further Notice

The production hold related to coronavirus will remain in effect until further notice. We will not lift this hold until the spread of the virus is under control and state and local governments allow the resumption of non-essential business.

Protect your safety and that of your community.

• Stay at home.
• Shoot only solos or with partners who live in your household.
• Do not leave your home to work.
• Do not have physical contact with someone who doesn’t live in your household.

See previous updates for additional information. We will continue to provide updates as necessary.

3/26/2020 Update: Coronavirus Production Hold to Remain in Place Until Further Notice

The production hold related to coronavirus will remain in effect until further notice. Why is the production hold “voluntary”?

We have technically referred to this as “voluntary” because PASS will remain online in order to not compound one public health crisis with another. That is the only difference between this hold and a “mandatory” production hold. During a “mandatory” hold, we make PASS inaccessible in order to prevent the imminent spread of an STI. Shooting at this time is not safe, but closing PASS and prohibiting shoots with one’s household partners would only compound an already alarming public health situation.

When will the production hold end?

We will not lift this hold until the spread of the virus is under control and state and local governments allow the resumption of non-essential business.

When we called for a halt to production on March 15 to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, we used a possible end date of March 31, based on original projections used in state and local orders. That date is no longer applicable, as the State of California’s “Stay at Home” order issued on March 17 has no end date and similar “Stay at Home” and “Shelter in Place” orders have since been called in Las Vegas, Miami, and other regions.

What should I do?

• Stay at home.
• Shoot only solos or with partners who live in your household.
• Do not leave your home to work.
• Do not have physical contact with someone who doesn’t live in your household.

We will continue to provide updates as we have more information.

3/23/20 Update: Adult Industry Coronavirus (COVID-19) Advisory

The voluntary shutdown of all adult entertainment productions in the United States and Canada will remain in effect until further notice. Please note that there is a separate, mandatory hold in effect at this time as well.

Over the past few days, FSC has received multiple reports of performers who have been quarantined at home with presumptive cases of coronavirus. Due to the widespread lack of testing, this is the standard procedure for most people presumed to have coronavirus.

Due to the fast-moving spread of this virus and the stay-at-home orders in California, Nevada, and a growing number of regions across the continent, we urge all of you to stay home, leaving only for essentials.

For our own safety and the safety of the community, no one should be shooting or creating content with partners who are not a part of their household.

We will provide more updates as we are able.

3/20/20 Update: Adult Industry Coronavirus (COVID-19) Advisory

We have received a report from a performer who believes they have a presumptive case of COVID-19. They have not been able to secure a test, but have been advised by doctors to self-quarantine. They are working to notify anyone with whom they might have been in contact in the past few weeks.

Please be advised that a mandatory, industry-wide production hold remains in place, as does a shelter-in-place decree in California, Nevada, and several other states. For our own safety and the safety of the community, no one should be shooting or creating content with others.

We will provide more updates as we are able.

3/16/2020 UPDATE: Adult Industry Coronavirus (COVID-19) Advisory

A letter to the adult entertainment community from FSC’s Executive Director, Michelle L. LeBlanc

Coronavirus Voluntary Production Hold FAQ

3/15/2020 UPDATE: Adult Industry Coronavirus (COVID-19) Advisory

FSC is calling for a voluntary shutdown of all adult entertainment productions in the United States and Canada through Tuesday, March 31.

In accordance with the recent order from the Governor of the State of California to close all “non-essential businesses,” and similar orders from other government officials throughout the United States and Canada, we ask that producers cancel all shoots through March 31, and recommend that performers immediately stop filming with partners who are not a part of their household. We do not take this step lightly.

We ask that all members of the adult industry stay home as much as possible, leaving the house only for necessities. We all must do our part to flatten the growth curve of this global pandemic.

PASS will remain online. While we are calling for an immediate halt to production, we do not want to compound the situation by removing a critical tool for safeguarding the health of our community. We will not penalize talent who send their test results to PASS, nor will we penalize anyone who logs in to PASS to check test results.

We strongly encourage everyone to follow all recommendations from local public health agencies and the CDC regarding coronavirus prevention.

Do not take chances with your health or the health of others.

Alert us immediately at [email protected] if you or someone you have had contact with tests positive for the coronavirus. Your information can be kept private.

For additional information, contact your local public health officials.

3/13/2020 UPDATE: Adult Industry Coronavirus (COVID-19) Advisory

FSC is not yet calling an industry-wide or regional production hold.

We are in full support of the producers and studios that have suspended production, and encourage others to do the same should they feel it is warranted. However, with the wide variety of production, including self-produced and custom content, and the lack of a specific COVID-19 risk to performers, we are not yet issuing a blanket ban.

When FSC has called a production hold in the past, we have shut down all on-set sexual activity, no matter where produced or with whom, in order to stop further transmission of HIV or another STI within the performer pool. Coronavirus, while serious, is not specific to adult production.

While we are monitoring public health departments, we do not believe that a mandatory production hold is warranted at this time. We are wary of cutting off performers’ ability to generate income by prematurely restricting their ability to work while risk is low — especially with the potential for a longer and larger business shutdown looming. Cutting off performers from the PASS testing system has the potential to more negatively impact the health of our community than the current risk of exposure.

We are asking that performers and producers who continue to shoot be incredibly vigilant and take common-sense precautions, including educating performers and crew about prevention, limiting the size of sets, and discontinuing air travel whenever possible.

We strongly encourage everyone to follow all recommendations from local public health agencies and the CDC regarding coronavirus prevention.

Do not take chances with your health and the health of others. Whether you are a performer, producer or crew member, only you can make the decision as to whether continuing to work is right for you.

We may call a production hold in the future, as circumstances continue to change.

Two examples of situations we are monitoring that could result in a production hold:

• Production hubs like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Miami: If the public health agency or local government in one of those hubs takes extreme measures to lock down the area to prevent the spread of the virus, we will call a production hold in that region, in accordance with those orders.
• Reports of infection among performers: If we receive reports of performers infected with coronavirus, we will investigate those the same way we investigate a PASS test panel that comes back with a result of not clear. That investigation could lead to a production hold that is either regional or national.

Alert us immediately at [email protected] if you or someone you have had contact with tests positive for the coronavirus. Your information can be kept private.

For additional information, contact your local public health officials.

3/12/2020 UPDATE: Adult Industry Coronavirus (COVID-19) Advisory

While we know of no cases of the coronavirus among the adult industry, and while the number of cases in major production hubs such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Miami remain low, we are asking the adult industry to be extremely vigilant about symptoms and tolerant of those who choose not to shoot.

This is a difficult time for both performers and producers, and we know that many are concerned not only about the virus, but about lost income in the event of a long production hold. FSC is consulting with performers, producers, and other industry stakeholders to discuss strategies and concerns, and provide real-world guidance as to how to best proceed.

We are not yet calling a production hold in the adult industry, but performers and producers should be actively planning for the possibility of one in the future.

In the meantime, individual producers and performers should make their own decisions about whether or not they feel comfortable continuing to shoot. This is a quickly evolving situation that affects us all. We ask that everyone be understanding and accommodating during this time.

Most members of the adult industry are not at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19, but you can still contract it and spread it, and that threatens those who are at higher risk. The disease is most contagious before you show any symptoms, so it is important to continue to be vigilant about personal hygiene and to limit your interactions with others whenever possible. We all have an ethical obligation to do our part to slow the spread of this virus in order to reduce the number of people infected and to prevent our health system from being overwhelmed.

What this means for the adult industry

• Follow all local and national recommendations regarding coronavirus
• Alert us immediately at [email protected] if you or someone you have had contact with tests positive for the coronavirus. Your information can be kept private.

Additionally

• Don’t travel for work
• Don’t work with others if you show any symptoms
• Don’t work with others if you have recently been in an area with community spread of the virus
• Don’t work with others if you are at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 (immunocompromised, elderly, etc.) or have frequent contact with someone who is

For our full guidance for performers and producers, see our earlier recommendations below.

FSC would like to hear from performers and producers about your concerns and plans, so that we can share relevant information and strategies. (We can keep your identifying information anonymous, if you prefer.) Please email [email protected] or contact the FSC office to help us better inform the industry. For additional information, contact your local public health officials.

3/6/2020 UPDATE: Adult Industry Coronavirus (COVID-19) Advisory

FSC is closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus. We want to ensure the industry is prepared to respond to the changing developments in the spread of this virus. Steps Talent Can Take

• Do not work if you feel you are getting sick. We realize this may not be an easy decision when faced with the need for a paycheck.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds. While soap and water is preferable, you can also use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with an alcohol content of at least 60%.
• Avoid touching your face, mouth, or eyes with unwashed hands
• Get a flu shot if you haven’t already. While the flu shot will not prevent the coronavirus, it will help you from contracting a different flu strain.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue or inside your shirt - not your hands!
• Film solo content. Additionally, try to build a stockpile of content to release in case you get sick or there is a halt in production.

Steps Producers Can Take

• Do not push people to work who have called in sick. We recognize that a change in cast or crew may cause a delay or additional expenses while shooting, but the consequences of people getting sick on set are a much greater risk both in terms of health and finances.
• Do not allow anyone who is visibly ill on set. Send talent or crew home - and make this policy clear prior to shooting.
• Ensure sets are thoroughly cleaned prior to shooting. This should be standard practice regardless, but be additionally prudent in making sure all surfaces that cast or crew come into contact with have been sanitized.
• Film extra content. Try to build a stockpile of content now, understanding that filming could eventually be impacted by the virus.
• Be extra vigilant with sanitization.
• Forgive kill fees for shoots, if applicable. We want to disincentivize people from showing up who may be ill.
• Avoid booking future shoots that require large expense or travel. We do not know what health departments will advise, and a production hold may happen.

Travel

• Stop all nonessential travel to South Korea, China, Italy, Iran, and Japan following the CDC travel recommendations. Consider minimizing ALL international travel until the CDC recommendations change.
• Quarantine at home if you have traveled to a country with an outbreak of COVID-19, following the CDC instructions.

If this does become an epidemic in the United States, we are prepared to respond. We are currently monitoring guidance from public health departments in the following metropolitan areas:

• Los Angeles County
• San Francisco Bay Area
• Miami-Dade County
• Las Vegas
• New York City

If the public health authorities in one of these areas indicates that the spread of the virus has created a significant risk of infection to the general population, we will issue a production hold in that jurisdiction until public health authorities have indicated that it is safe. For additional information, contact your local public health officials.