Filming resumed in London last month on the much-anticipated next instalment of the Jurassic World series, with executives instituting strict protocols to contain the possibility of Covid-19 infection.

Some 18 000 tests have been procured. The actors are required to be tested three days a week, while crew are tested less frequently, and must dress in protective gear. An entire hotel has been booked to accommodate those working on the film; all were required to quarantine for 14 days in the hotel, after which they were permitted to move freely in it.

A doctor, four nurses and other paramedics have been retained full time for the production.

The costs of the safety measures – rental, numerous hand-sanitiser stations and an ‘antiviral mist’ to sanitize sets prior to use – have added some $9 million to production costs.

Colin Trevorrow, the film’s director, said that initially the actors had been ‘very cautious’.

‘But knowing that we would all be safe together is what really moved the needle. If they hadn’t been willing to come, nothing could have happened,’ he said.

Actress Bryce Dallas Howard (who returns to the role of Claire Dearing) said that the cast had accepted the protocols: ‘Nothing feels like a redundancy, nothing feels annoying. It is in a sense a safety reckoning that still feels like a good idea in a post-Covid-vaccine world.’

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the film industry, with cinemas shut down (and audiences sceptical about their safety), releases delayed and production halted or altered. Some actors are reported to be reluctant to risk working in the pandemic. A number of actors and actresses – including Alyssa Milano, Mel Gibson, Madonna, Idris Elba, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson – have contracted the virus.

Image by enriquelopezgarre from Pixabay