Regarding the Ensuring of Social Distancing During Filming

Issued pursuant to
Paragraph 9.11 of Cabinet Regulation No. 241 of 29 April 2003,
By-law of the Ministry of Culture

1. In accordance with Sub-paragraphs 4.5.²5 and 4.53.¹ of Cabinet Order No. 103 of 12 March 2020, Regarding the Declaration of Emergency Situation:

1.1. A film producer (hereinafter - the producer) shall ensure the processes for preparing and producing films, complying with the following conditions:

1.1.1. the presence of persons with signs of respiratory infection (fever, cough, shortness of breath) is precluded. The producer has the right to prohibit persons with signs of respiratory infection from participating in filming and to invite them to leave the set, recommending them to go home and contact their general practitioner. The producer shall ensure that the filming participants involved in filming who are from foreign countries shall, where necessary, comply with the quarantine provisions at the hotel where the care is performed by as few staff as possible during the quarantine, and, as far as possible, ensure communication with a general practitioner who provides health care if necessary;

1.1.2. the presence of persons to whom self-isolation, home quarantine or strict isolation has been determined according to Sub-paragraph 4.12 of Cabinet Order No. 103 of 12 March 2020, Regarding the Declaration of Emergency Situation, is precluded. A person, upon arriving to filming after an absence of several days, shall attest in writing that he or she is not subject to the conditions of self-isolation, quarantine or isolation;

1.1.3. during filming, the persons not involved in the filming are precluded from the set;

1.1.4. the need to involve persons of risk groups in filming is being evaluated.

1.2. The producer shall create a list of the persons participating in each time of filming, including shall compile the contact information of persons in conformity with the principles determined for personal data processing, and shall store such lists for at least three weeks after the filming.

1.3. The producer shall ensure the control of the flow of filming participants both in outdoor and indoor spaces in order to prevent the crowding of participants and to ensure the maintaining of a two-metre distance, including:

1.3.1. shall, to the extent possible, use several entrances and exits to organise flows of various groups of filming participants;

1.3.2. shall eliminate any obstacles that could restrict entrances or exits and impede the flow of filming participants;

1.3.3. shall, in visible places, place clearly legible instructions for the need to be socially responsible and to maintain a two-metre distance, to evaluate one's health condition and to not attend the filming location if there are signs of respiratory infection (fever, cough, shortness of breath), and also if the person has an obligation to be in self-isolation, home quarantine or strict isolation;

1.3.4. shall ensure the maintenance of a two-metre distance between filming participants wherever possible, including in common areas throughout all filming location by providing at least 4 m² of the premises per one filming participant, except for the cases where the persons live in the same household;

1.3.5. shall ensure that mutual physical contact is reduced by using digital platforms or walkie-talkies to the extent possible;

1.3.6. shall, to the extent possible, ensure that the main members of film crew (actors and representatives of other professions which are difficult to replace) are separated from the rest of the film crew.

1.4. The producer shall ensure that the preparation of the set is planned and organised in shifts and that the minimum required number of participants (film crew and actors) is present on the set. The producer shall ensure that the rest of the filming participants can monitor the filming remotely (through video monitors) outside the set.

1.5. The producer shall ensure that makeup artists have a separate makeup set for each actor. The producer shall ensure, to the extent possible, that actors and extras have separate makeup artists.

1.6. The producer may organize the catering of the filming participants, if the food and drinks are served in individually packed portions and it is performed by the waiter of the catering service provider, complying with the hygiene requirements specified in laws and regulations. Meals shall be divided into shifts (every 20 or 30 minutes) in order to organise the flow of persons, preventing crowding, and to ensure that a two-metre distance is maintained between the persons.

1.7. The producer shall ensure that the filming participants have the possibility to observe hand hygiene (washing hands with soap under running water and hygienic means for hand drying or using hand sanitisers (70 % ethanol solution or another effective hand sanitiser)).

1.8. The producer shall place an available, clearly legible information with the reminder of the compliance with the requirements of hygiene at the filming location, including in bathrooms:

1.9. The producer shall ensure that the filming participants use only those devices and other equipment which is transferred for their use, and ensure their transfer from one person to another by disinfecting them in advance by appropriate means.

1.10. The producer shall, to the extent possible, reduce the use of common-use surfaces, technical devices, and objects (touch screens, computers, their keyboards and mice, requisites, etc.). The producer shall ensure the possibility to sanitise hands before their use or to perform regular disinfection of such devices and objects (at least 3 to 5 times a day, if possible - after each use) by using appropriate disinfectants.

1.11. The producer shall ensure cleaning of the filming location after each time of filming, particularly thoroughly cleaning all common-use surfaces (for example, door handles, table surfaces, armrests, handrails, bathroom surfaces) by using appropriate disinfectants (the recommended disinfectants are 70 % ethanol solution or 0.5 % sodium hypochlorite solution). Surfaces that are touched by a large number of filming participants should be cleaned several times a day. More detailed information on the cleaning of premises is available on the website of the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

1.12. The producer shall, to the extent possible, ensure regular ventilation of premises by opening the windows or using effective mechanical ventilation.

1.13. The producer shall evaluate the usefulness of the use of face masks and other personal protective equipment, complying with conditions for the proper use and disposal thereof, and also the necessity to determine compliance with other additional safety measures. More detailed information on the use of face masks and other personal protective equipment is available on the website of the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

2. The Order shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the official gazette Latvijas Vēstnesis.

3. This Order shall be published in the official gazette Latvijas Vēstnesis.

Minister for Culture N. Puntulis

Translation © 2020 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)