Just a few weeks after several U.S. TV series resumed production in Vancouver with COVID-19 protocols in place, most of them have now suspended filming.
Series including “Batwoman,” “Riverdale,” “Charmed,” “Nancy Drew,” “A Million Little Things,” “Maid” and the new “The Mighty Ducks” either shut down several days ago or are in the process of shutting down now. In addition those scheduled to restart this week or next, like “The Flash,” “Supergirl” and “DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow,” have all been delayed.
The problem ties to COVID-19 but NOT to specifically diagnosed cases. Rather the issue is all to do with testing with local labs not meeting deadlines and so there are delays of as long as 72+ hours in receiving COVID-19 test results for cast and crew.
At present there is no indication that there are any positive cases but, without definitive test results and no rapid testing available, studios have had no choice but to halt production.
A recent spike of COVID cases in British Columbia has likely contributed to the delays as labs prioritize tests for local citizens over businesses. Nore testing capacity is reportedly being added to help resolve the bottleneck and prevent another one in the future.
Source: Deadline