Hollywood Productions Shut Down Again As LA Covid Cases Soar 12/30/20 AT 1:56 PM Most Hollywood productions have shut down again until at least mid-January, the movie industry's acting union announced, as Covid-19 cases soar to record levels in Los Angeles. SAG-AFTRA said the majority of entertainment productions will "remain on hiatus until the second or third week of January if not later," in a statement to members late Tuesday. The message comes after Los Angeles county health officials on Christmas Eve urged filmmakers to "consider pausing work for a few weeks during this catastrophic surge in COVID cases." Los Angeles -- the nation's most populous county -- has emerged as the latest US epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, topping 7,000 Covid hospitalizations for the first time Monday.