Saturday Night Live (SNL) will once again be live from New York.
SNL produced some of its shows remotely during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, this Saturday, Oct. 3, the show will kick off its 46th season in front of a live studio audience. This audience will join the show's cast and crew as they return back to Studio 8H with a whole slew of new safety guidelines.
All ticketed audience members will be required to take a COVID-19 test when arriving at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. According to the SNL site, "This is a self-administered lower nasal antigen test with results yielded before the show." Guests will also have their temperature checked on arrival. Anyone with a temperature of 100.4 or higher will not be allowed into the show.
SNL guests will also be asked a series of questions to help determine their health status and potential eligibility into the show. Some of these questions include "Are you exhibiting any symptoms related to COVID-19?", "Have you exhibited any symptoms related to COVID-19 in the past 14 days?" and "Have you been in close contact with anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, or anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19, within the past 14 days?" A response of yes to any of these questions could result in removal from the audience.
If a guest is removed from the audience due to health concerns, their party will also be asked to leave as well. According to the SNL site, "A positive COVID-19 test for any member of your group will result in the entire group not being granted permission."
SNL allowed fans to request show tickets for themselves and as many as eight other people that were within their "social bubble." Tickets for the season premiere have already sold out, but there are a number of tickets set aside for healthcare workers.
Source: THR