This past weekend marked the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, and to say it was a star-studded night would be an understatement. The ceremony featured appearances from a number of Hollywood’s biggest actors, including Seth Rogen, who caught the internet’s attention with his new look. However, the actor, writer and producer, who presented the first award of the night, also went viral for questioning the COVID-19 protocols in place and commented on maskless celebrities, while on stage. Now, the Los Angeles County health department has responded to Rogen’s comments.
While on stage at this year’s Emmys, Seth Rogen, in a somewhat deadpan manner, also said that he was under the impression that the event would be held “outdoors” and stated that the event officials “lied to us.” He would go on to say that “there is way too many of us in this little room” and said that he wouldn’t have come if he’d known about the setup.
Earlier this week, the L.A. County Health Department asserted that Seth Rogen’s claims are not accurate. The department, via a statement sent to TMZ, said that it corresponded with the Emmys to ensure that the proper safety methods were in place for the event. The department also stated that additional precautions were put in place for the ceremony, which included fully vaccinated or recently tested crew members. Attendees were reportedly also required to be fully vaccinated and needed to have a negative COVID test within 48 hours of showtime.
In response to Rogen’s statements on a lack of masks, the department of health explained that Los Angeles requires both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents to wear masks indoors, exceptions have been made for Hollywood productions. As a result, attendees, who are classified as performers, were not required to wear masks.
The uptick in COVID cases over the past few months have spilled into a number of Hollywood productions. Just recently, How I Met Your Father star Hilary Duff, who is fully vaccinated, tested positive for the virus as production was starting to ramp up. And earlier this summer, HBO’s Game of Thrones spinoff, House of Dragons, was also forced to shut down due to a positive test.
Nevertheless, it would seem that a number of film and TV show crews are finding different ways to keep cast and crew members safe as work pushes forward. For instance, Fox’s The Masked Singer phased out its live studio audience for the past few seasons and, even though it’s now welcoming fans back, it’s ensuring that all audience members are either fully vaccinated or tested daily.
Based on the current state of the pandemic, Hollywood appears set to keep precautions like the ones implemented at the Emmys and those used in other TV and film productions in place for the foreseeable future. We’ll see how Hollywood continues to handle the situation as the world attempts to close in on a firmer sense of normalcy.
