Most Hollywood productions have shut down again until at least mid-January, the film industry's acting union announced, as Covid-19 cases soar to record levels in Los Angeles.
Sag-Aftra said the majority of entertainment productions will "remain on hiatus until the second or third week of January if not later", in a statement to members on Tuesday.
A list of productions affected by the latest restrictions has not yet been released.
The message comes after Los Angeles county health officials on Christmas Eve urged filmmakers to "consider pausing work for a few weeks during this catastrophic surge in Covid-19 cases".
Los Angeles – the nation's most populous county – has emerged as the latest US epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, topping 7,000 Covid-19-related hospitalisations for the first time on Monday.
The sprawling county of 10 million people has suffered more than 750,000 cases including just more than 10,000 deaths.
Southern California's "stay-at-home" order was extended indefinitely on Tuesday, with several hospitals overwhelmed and forced to turn away ambulances.
Sag-Aftra has steered months-long efforts to restart Hollywood since its initial March shutdown, co-signing a deal with top studios in September to ramp up on-set coronavirus safety measures for its actors, including testing.
Even so, Los Angeles entertainment productions were at less than half their usual activity levels in October, before again declining as Covid-19 cases began to soar.
Film LA, the body that grants permits for productions around Los Angeles, said applications to film have recently sunk to "lows we have not seen since the weeks after restart of production last summer".
Beside a few dozen indie films, very few features resumed production in the Los Angeles area this year, with most filming activity restricted to commercials and music video shoots.
In contrast, high-profile productions have resumed abroad, including the latest Tom Cruise blockbuster Mission Impossible 7 in the UK and Italy, and TV series such as Supergirl and Batwoman in Canada.
Lack of coronavirus insurance continues to hamper productions hoping to restart.
Sag-Aftra said it would ensure "appropriate precautions for the holiday hiatus period including additional time for testing prior to the resumption of production".
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The Specs
Engine 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp (542bhp in GTS model)
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000 (Dh549,000 for GTS)
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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SQUADS
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Sami Aslam, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Asghar, Bilal Asif, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Wahab Riaz
Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne (vice-capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Rangana Herath, Lakshan Sandakan, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Gamage
Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG) and Nigel Llong (ENG)
TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
ICC match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
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5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Scorecard
Scotland 220
K Coetzer 95, J Siddique 3-49, R Mustafa 3-35
UAE 224-3 in 43,5 overs
C Suri 67, B Hameed 63 not out
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra
Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa
Rating: 4/5
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Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
THE BIG MATCH
Arsenal v Manchester City,
Sunday, Emirates Stadium, 6.30pm
