The Cine and Television Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) has taken a serious note of the deaths of many of its members due to COVID-19 which they contracted while shooting outside Maharashtra (after shootings were banned in Maharashtra in view of the pandemic lockdown) and has asked for all health and safety protocols to be strictly followed by producers and production houses. It has also asked for a copy of the SOPs to be shared with it by its members so that it can examine any negligence that would have a severe impact on the unit.
The CINTAA has also asked for SOPs to be designed as per the new strain of the Coronavirus which might show negative in the first RT-PCR. This would require isolating the cast and crew before and after shooting. The Association also expressed the need to know if all producers had adequately covered the health and life of actors and technicians by insurance. It wondered who would bear the cost of medication and hospitalisation in case a cast or crew member contracted the virus during shooting.
It also urged producers to make pending payments to artistes and technicians within 30 days during the pandemic as the financial position of everyone was poor due to the lockdown.