FSC Issues COVID-19 Production Warning

LOS ANGELES – While stopping short of calling for another production hold, the Free Speech Coalition has issued an “adult industry COVID-19 warning” in a statement published on the FSC website Wednesday morning.

“Adult film production hubs are seeing a renewed and unprecedented risk for transmission of COVID-19,” the FSC said in its statement. “Yesterday morning, the Los Angeles County health department called the rise in transmission ‘alarming,’ and estimated that 1 in 140 residents carries the virus and does not know it. In South Florida’s Miami-Dade region, more than 1 in 5 people are testing positive for the coronavirus. In Las Vegas this weekend, cases of COVID-19 were triple their previous peak. All areas are seeing large jumps in infections and hospitalizations for those under age 30.”

The FSC added that when the regions listed above lifted their restrictions on film production earlier this month, the FSC issued its Health and Safety Guidelines for Adult Film Production and “advised the industry that we did not yet believe it was safe to shoot adult content outside the home.”

“We have not changed our position, the FSC said in its statement. “As we have throughout the pandemic, we continue to follow the orders of local public health authorities and municipal government in regards to mainstream film production,” adding that “COVID-19 not sexually transmitted, and poses no greater risk to adult performers than a mainstream love scene.”

FSC said that if the authorities in the regions listed above “once again call for mainstream film production to stop, we will comply with those orders and call for a production hold in that region.”

“FSC is not calling for a production hold in any region at this time,” FSC added in its statement. “However, given the recent spike in infections, there is a significant and increased risk of transmission associated with the production of adult content outside your home or with people you do not live with. The Guidelines might help you limit that risk, but if at all possible, you should refrain from shooting outside your home or household for the immediate future.”

Read the full statement on the FSC website.