Movie Studio Lionsgate Brings Back Mask Mandate For Employees In LA Office Amidst Growing Covid Concern

As coronavirus becomes a hot topic again in Los Angeles, Lionsgate has reinstated a mask mandate for employees in its main office at 2700 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica. The new policy, announced by Sommer McElroy, Response Manager for Lionsgate/Starz, requires mandatory mask-wearing effective immediately and until further notice. Specifically, this mandate applies to the 3rd and 5th floors of the company's five-story building and was put in place after several employees tested positive for Covid. Employees are required to wear a medical-grade face covering (surgical mask, KN95, or N95) when indoors unless they are alone in a closed office, eating or drinking at their desks, or alone in a large workspace.

Movie Studio Lionsgate Brings Back Mask Mandate for Company Employees in LA Office Amidst Growing Covid Concern

Additionally, every employee must conduct a daily self-screening before coming into the office. If they exhibit any symptoms or have recently traveled internationally, they are required to notify McElroy and stay home. This could have wider implications as it comes during the summer vacation season. Lionsgate is also conducting contact tracing and providing at-home Covid test kits upon request, as reported by Deadline.

This move comes as the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports "small increases in Covid-19 indicators over the past four weeks," indicating a rise in local cases. While the overall metrics remain at a low level of concern, the rise in cases has supposedly been significant enough to warrant caution. Notably, infections have been reported among attendees of Taylor Swift's recent sold-out concerts at So-Fi Stadium and among individuals returning from overseas travel. Given the situation, Lionsgate's policy may set a precedent that other entertainment companies could follow. Hollywood studios had instituted strict Covid mandates when they began bringing back employees to offices in 2021. Lionsgate itself initiated a phased reopening process in October 2021 and increased the in-person requirement to four days a week starting in January of this year.

The reinstatement of mask mandates and self-screening protocols underscores the ongoing challenges organizations face as they navigate the hysteria surrounding Covid that seems to be rising once again. Health authorities in the U.S. have made it clear that they're closely monitoring the spread of three new coronavirus variants. Although Covid hospitalizations and deaths are currently below previous peaks, they have been reportedly steadily rising. Authorities claim that coronavirus tests and forthcoming vaccines are effective against these new strains, but they also point to a "highly mutated" variant that leaves many questions about the future of the virus.

The dominant strain in the U.S., as of August 18, is EG.5, making up 20.6% of new cases. Another strain, FL.1.5.1, accounts for 13.3% of U.S. infections. Both are descendants of the XBB strains dominant last winter and share a mutation known as F456L that appears to help them spread. A new highly mutated strain, BA.2.86, is also being closely tracked. It has a large number of mutations at key parts of the virus, prompting accelerated investigations into its risks.

The mainstream machines (public health organizations, the media, the government) are doing everything they can to bring back the fear.

Symptoms for the new variants appear largely unchanged compared to their Omicron relatives, and the Omicron variation of coronavirus was essentially a cold for many people. No increase in disease severity has been reported for the EG.5 strain, according to the WHO. Experts claim that factors like immunity from prior infections and vaccinations complicate comparisons of symptom severity between variants.

Existing coronavirus tests appear to work effectively for EG.5 and FL.1.5.1, according to the FDA and NIH. However, the BA.2.86 variant's mutations could potentially affect test performance if it becomes more prevalent. As for the fall 2023 Covid vaccine boosters, they are expected to work for EG.5 and FL.1.5.1 as they are closely related to the XBB.1.5 variant. Moderna and Pfizer have reported that their updated vaccines will be effective against these variants. What a surprise.

We all expected the Covid hysteria to return before the winter months. Unfortunately, Lionsgate probably won't be the only private company in the coming weeks to institute an arbitrary mask mandate once again. Fall is around the corner; of course people are going to get sick. At this point, Covid and its newer variants are just a cold you might have caught in past years while nobody batted an eye. But now that the public has lost its interest in coronavirus and its dangers, the mainstream machines (public health organizations, the media, the government) are doing everything they can to bring back the fear. The problem is that it just might work, especially if people are silly enough to fall for the narrative.

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