Film, TV workers arriving in UK must quarantine

All film and TV workers arriving in the  UK must self-isolate for 10 days, following the removal of the job category from the list of jobs exempt from Covid-19 restrictions.

The job category was one of eight removed from the latest update to the exemption list, at 4am on Monday, January 18.

All film and high-end TV workers arriving in the UK must now complete each of the following three steps:

• Take a Covid-19 test before travelling, at no more than three days before, which returns as negative. 
• Complete a passenger locator form.
• Self-isolate for 10 days. 

Other categories no longer exempt from the restrictions include television workers (on non-high-end productions) and performing arts professionals.

Under the government’s Test To Release scheme, individuals in England may pay for a private Covid-19 test after five days of isolation, and exit from isolation providing it returns a negative result.

Screen contacted the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport for clarification on the move; their response and the reaction of BFC CEO Adrian Wootton can be found here.

Timing 

The change was announced on Friday, January 15. The British Film Commission posted a series of tweets updating its Covid-19 filming guidance at 5.34pm and then confirming the exemption tightening at 10.55pm.

This article originally appeared on our sister site, ScreenDaily.