After having its sixth season cut short during the initial lockdown stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Flash was finally able to kick off its Season 7 production in late summer after further delays, with The CW having already postponed the impending premiere until early 2021. Unfortunately, the Arrowverse's senior drama is facing yet another setback, as filming has been halted for Season 7 after it was discovered that someone from the show tested positive for COVID-19.
Currently filming in its usual production home of Vancouver, The Flash has reportedly been following all of the safety guidelines and production standards put into place to stop the spread of COVID-19 as episodes are shot. However, it appears there was a weak link in the process, with one unidentified team member's test coming back positive, which was enough for the producers to make the call to shut everything down for the moment and move forward with contact tracing.
As of this writing, it's not clear when The Flash will be deemed safe to return to production. According to Deadline, Warner Bros. TV execs are currently evaluating the situation to grasp the pros and cons of altering the production schedule to get filming back up and running without that particular team member involved. The same consideration is being given to any potential employees who were in close contact with the infected crew member, as those individuals are all currently in the process of self-isolating. It does not appear as if anyone from the main cast is at risk, though we can't be completely sure.
While it isn't clear if this latest delay will have any effect on The Flash's premiere date in February on The CW, the overall limited nature of the positive test results inspires optimism that no long-term changes will need to be made for the show's future. Here's hoping the situation was caught early enough, and that the response was enough to limit the spread accordingly.
The Flash and several other CW shows (along with some from other networks and streaming services) already faced production start delays back in September due to a backlog of COVID test results in the Vancouver area. Thankfully, that situation got sorted out without too much of a pushback, though it's unclear if recent surges will lead to further backlogs in the future.
Despite all the delays and missteps, fans are still pumped to learn what will happen with The Flash returns for Season 7, since it will wrap up some Season 6 storylines before setting up new stories. We'll finally get to see how that whole Mirror Iris situation will play out, while also getting to see a more active Joe West, and a new major villain or two. As well, viewers will also get to see how the show is moving on from Elongated Man after former star Hartley Sawyer's firing earlier this year.
The Flash is set to return to The CW for Season 7 on Tuesday, February 23, at 8:00 p.m. ET, followed by the world premiere of the latest Arrowverse spinoff, Superman & Lois. Stay connected to what's coming to the small screen soon with our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule and our Winter and Spring 2021 TV rundown.
