(UTV | COLOMBO) – The Health Ministry has issued following operational guidelines on preparedness for response for COVID-19 outbreak for the film & teledrama industry.
General advice
• Stay home if you have even minor respiratory symptoms.
• Frequently wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. When soap and running water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth or mask at all times.
• Practice good respiratory etiquette. including covering coughs and sneezes with inner side of elbow or a tissue. Discard used tissue into a closed bin and wash hands.
• Wear the mask properly and discard it into a pedal-operated closed bin after use.
• Do not spit on the ground.
• Avoid Couching frequently touched surfaces.
• Practice greeting with non-touch technique. eg: Ayubowan
During the Pre-production
• Planning and pre discussions of the production should be done using online conference methods at all possible occasions.
• If any pre-planning meetings required with the physical presence of the team, limit the number of participants and maintain one-metre physical distance.
• Include information on preventive measures of COVID-19 to your film/ teledrama script at any possible occasion in order to achieve behavior change in the society.
During the Production
1. Advice for directors and producers
• Hand washing facilities should be provided. Alcoholic hand sanitizer should be available at the set and waiting areas.
• Work should be coordinated in such a way that a limited number of people are given access to space at any one time dring the shooting at all possible locations. In the event that a scene is being filmed in a small space, only the following people are recommended access while filming. E.g. artists, camera operator, sound recordist. Provide remote viewing facilities for all other people if possible.
• All people at the set are required to adhere to health guidelines on hygiene and behavior required to minimize risk of spreading the disease. It should be monitored by the organizers.
• Ensure frequent cleaning of contact surfaces of the location. This includes; door handles, surfaces, bathroom fixtures and any equipment handled by more than one person.
• Assess the health states of the crew regularly. Anybody having any respiratory symptoms (cough, fever, runny nose, sore throat and difficulty in breathing) is not permitted entry to the set and should be directed for a medical opinion.
• Information regarding the risk of spreading COVID-19, and what behavior is expected from the crew is to be ma. available.
• Masks should be provided to the crew on any occasion where physical distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
• Costumes of each artist should be kept separately washed thoroughly and not to be shared.
2. Transport
• Anti-congestion measures should be practised during transporting the crew. Different working groups of the crew should be transported separately at all possible occasions. Encourage to use their personal vehicle if possible.
3. Filming
• Avoid crowd scenes where physical distancing cannot be maintained at all possible occasions.
• For interior shootings, the maximum number of crew permitted entry at any one time should be based on the space of the location.
• The number of crew on set should be kept to the minimum required.
• Call times should be planned for each working groups by giving access at timed intervals, to prevent crowding during the shooting.
• Ensure good ventilation of interior spaces to minimize the risk of spending the infection by means of open windows at all possible occasions.
4. During make-up
• The make-up artist should wear a mask properly.
• Allow only a limited number of artists to enter the make-up room at a particular lime.
• Seating for the artists should be arranged outside the room.
• Regularly disinfect the make-up table and changing room.
• Provide hand washing facilities/ hand sanitizers for make-up artists to regular hand washing.
• Make-up artists required to wash hands with soap and water or sanitize their hands before and after attending to each individual for hair and make-up.
• Clean used make-up equipment properly before using them for another person. E.g. sponges, brushes etc.
• Encourage artist to bring personal make-up applicators.
• Artists should be encouraged to wear their own clothes and dress from home at all possible occasions. In the event that this is not possible, is required to provide dressing facilities where physic.tot distancing measures be upheld.
5. Food
• The person handling food should thoroughly wash their hands beforehand and frequently.
• Buffets arc not permitted. All meals should be served as food packs.
• All drinks should be in single-serving containers. e.g. water bottles.
• Avoid sharing food, beverages, glasses, cups with others.
• Avoid gatherings during mealtime and arrange meals at different time intervals to minimize overcrowding.
During the Post-production (dubbing/ editing)
• Clean audiovisual equipment and commonly touched surfaces / editing tables regularly using disinfectant solutions.
• Mics and earphone should be cleaned before using them for a new person.
• Promote proper hand hygiene among technical staff.
• Should maintain the physical distance among artists during the recordings. • Appoint a minimum number of technical officers for a shift on roster basis.
The Ministry asked to contact following numbers for further Inquiries:
- Dr. Palitha Karunapema, Director Health Promotion Bureau on 0777708487 email palitha_66@yahoo.com
- Dr. Priyanga Ranasinghe, Consultant Community Physician, Unit Head-Risk Communication, Media and Publicity, Health Promotion Bureau on 0777552794, email pnyangaran@yahoo.com.