Will COVID spoil the Oscars?
That’s the big question as Hollywood prepares to celebrate itself on Sunday. Organizers are taking precautions to prevent the 2022 Academy Awards from becoming a super spreader as other awards shows and film festivals have proven their worth in the pandemic era. Participants must have two negative PCR tests and be fully vaccinated to participate in the celebrations. On Friday, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences updated its COVID protocols and rules, announcing that individuals “who test positive for COVID-19 and report back within a zero to five day window from the date of their first positive Tests are not permitted under any circumstances.”
There’s a reason the rules are so strict. This year’s Academy Awards begin as COVID infections surge again. On Thursday, public health officials said cases of BA.2, the new and highly contagious subvariant of Omicron, rose 130% in a week, although cases remain low. Adding to the uneasiness is the fact that the BAFTA awards show on 13th The Machines producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who performed at the show, also contracted the virus. Add to that the spread of COVID at recent industry events like SXSW, where “Everything Everywhere All at Once” star Michelle Yeoh tested positive for coronavirus after the film premiered at the Texas Festival. Some nominees are concerned their recent struggles with COVID will prevent them from traveling to the Dolby Theater where the Oscars are being presented.
Jamie Dornan recently told Variety at Thursday’s Oscars Wilde Awards that he hopes his ‘Belfast’ compatriots will be there. “I can’t even imagine going Sunday night without these guys,” Dornan said.
Don’t be surprised if Oscar co-hosts Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall deliver some COVID quips to acknowledge the pandemic elephant in the room.
But the Oscars are just one stop on a long and boozy jaunt through Los Angeles on Sunday. Winners, nominees, power brokers and press hop from the Governor’s Ball to the Vanity Fair party to soirees hosted by Apple, Neon and Warner Bros. That kind of marathon socializing could lead to more notoriety. Several party and event planners tell Variety they’re sticking to their protocols for now — most require guests to show they’re fully vaccinated (i.e. with a booster shot) and show proof of one within 48 hours of the event produce negative tests. However, there is no mask requirement at any of the events and the Oscars only recommend that guests wear masks.
“People in Hollywood are willing to go to parties and possibly contract COVID because they think it’s no big deal,” said one party planner. “They see their friends and family getting it now, and it’s seen more as an inconvenience than anything.”
This source also opined: “It’s really a brazen display of privilege because most probably haven’t lost many people to the disease because they have money and access to health care when they were most needed during the worst part of the pandemic.” “
Last night’s W Magazine party took place outside at hotspot Gigi’s. A constant question heard throughout the night was, “Are we all getting COVID now?” Guests nervously joked that Oscars weekend could be a “super spreader.” Wearing masks at W’s party and a Vanity Fair party earlier in the evening at Mother Wolf’s was a rare sighting. Denis Villeneuve was one of the few celebrities to don a mask as his team hopped from a reception for Canadian filmmakers and Canada-based productions to the W party. It was also notable because the event took place mostly outdoors, a sign that Villeneuve is taking no chances on contracting COVID ahead of Sunday’s ceremony where his sci-fi epic ‘Dune’ receives 10 awards. Most attendees appear unfazed, as in the case of Quentin Tarantino’s surprise birthday cake at the W.
Since COVID turned life upside down in 2020, the movie business has seen several ups and downs. Outbreaks on sets have become a staple of production, as have COVID blisters, masks and frequent testing. The entertainment industry has grown hopeful that the virus is fading in various places, only for Delta and Omicron to emerge as painful reminders that the credits for the highly contagious disease are still pending. A month ago, cases seemed to be dropping and the company seemed poised to celebrate the return to normal. Now that festive mood is colored by those old feelings of dread and uneasiness that have been so pervasive for the last two years.
“It’s not over yet,” one Oscar nominee told Variety. “We may wish COVID were over, but it’s not over with us.”
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