50 Crews Exposed To COVID-19 Omicron Variant, Star Trek: Picard Series Filming Stops

JAKARTA - The spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is very fast in America. The entertainment industry is again affected by this variant. Filming for Paramount+'s Star Trek: Picard series has been suspended after more than 50 of the production crew tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, January 3.

The series, starring veteran actor Patrick Stewart, was worked on by more than 450 television crews. The spread of COVID-19 affects several zones, including zone A which is filled by actors.

Production on the series closes on Monday. A source told The Hollywood Reporter, quoted Friday, that filming is expected to resume early next week or sooner, although details are still unclear. CBS Studios, which oversees streaming service Paramount+, declined to comment.

The spread of a variant of the omicron virus has prompted a number of television shows to halt filming this week, with CBS Studios' "NCIS" series among those affected.

Major events in the entertainment industry, including the Grammy Awards, have been cancelled, while others like the Sundance Film Festival have gone virtual.

Quoted from ANTARA, the production of "Star Trek: Picard" was carried out in Los Angeles, California, United States. The city recorded 26,754 new cases of COVID-19 infection, 2,240 hospitalizations and 27 deaths as of Wednesday (5/1). In California, an average of 59,000 cases per day were reported from New Year's Eve to Monday (3/1).

“Star Trek: Picard” was officially announced to be updated to a third season in September and is slated to air in 2023. The first season premiered in January 2020, while the second season is scheduled to air in February this year.

The series, part of the Star Trek Universe franchise, is set 20 years after the last appearance of Jean-Luc Picard's character in "Star Trek: Nemesis" (2002).

In addition to Stewart, the cast includes Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Evan Evagora, Michelle Hurd, and Santiago Cabrera. “Star Trek: Picard” was written by Akiva Goldsman, Michael Chabon, Kirsten Beyer, and Alex Kurtzman.