FACT BRIEF

Do California's coronavirus guidelines consider the entertainment industry ‘essential’?

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

By Meredith Hertan

This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

YES

In its first round of stay-at-home orders in March 2020, California deemed entertainment industry workers essential under the broader category of "industrial, commercial, residential, and sheltering facilities and services."

According to the state's public health leader, workers in the entertainment industry, if "remote work is not practical," are part of the essential workforce as long as they follow coronavirus safety guidance.

On November 19, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new limited stay-at-home order applicable to counties experiencing the highest rates of new infections. The order bars people from gathering with those from outside their households and taking part in activities away from home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Those working in entertainment, as essential workers, are exempt from this order.

Sources

State of California: Essential critical infrastructure workers

Deadline: California Department of Public Health announcement

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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.