The Czech Republic granted an exemption to U.S. television and film production staff from the European Union coronavirus travel ban.
According to Variety, the Czech Film Commission sent out a letter welcoming Hollywood film and television productions to film in the country. The commission's head Pavlína Žipková wrote to Hollywood executives, "In relation to the EU declaring a travel ban on the U.S., please let me assure you this is not valid for economic workers but tourism travellers only. Filmmakers of all nations are welcome in the Czech Republic." The exemption will allow shows like Amazon's Carnival Row and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier to continue filming after they were shut down by the virus.
Žipková said she, along with Czech Republic Culture Minister Lubomir Zaoralek and Czech Film Fund director Helena Bezdek Frankova, signed two documents to make sure U.S. cast and crew have a smoother time entering into the country.
The letter came out after the EU released a list of 14 countries approved to travel to Europe once its ban lifts on July 1. The ban lift excludes the U.S., China and Brazil, as each country is seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Stillking production head David Minkowski mentioned that several Hollywood studios have called him about moving their productions to its studios in Prague, Budapest and Bucharest, as Hungry and Romania will also offer exemptions. "They are looking for safe havens from [what would otherwise be] hot spots in the U.S. and also certain European countries," he said.