Netflix will require the casts and some crew on its productions in the US to be vaccinated against COVID-19, a measure that comes as the Delta variant continues to spread across the country.
Deadline first reported that the streaming giant recently notified its production teams that it would require casts and crew working in “Zone A” on US productions to be vaccinated. Deadline described this classification as including both cast members and those who are in close contact with them. According to the report, Netflix plans to make few exceptions to the new vaccination policy, with exclusions including age, medical, and religious reasons.
Netflix confirmed the measure to The Verge but declined to comment further.
Similar measures have been taken by companies including Facebook and Google for employees returning to their offices, and President Joe Biden is expected to announce on Thursday that federal employees will need to be vaccinated or consent to regular testing. Apple, meanwhile, is reportedly planning to delay a mandatory return to work policy. The company will also begin requiring masks in Apple retail stores for both customers and employees, regardless of their vaccination status.
This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines for some people who are vaccinated, including urging them to wear masks in public indoor settings in regions with high COVID-19 numbers. A surge in cases prompted the recommendation, reversing earlier guidance from May as the highly transmissible Delta variant continues to spread.
Netflix is the first major studio to announce a mandatory vaccination policy for its US productions.
