Posted in: AEW, Sports, TV | Tagged: aew, coronavirus, sports, tv, wrestlng

IATSE Union Reveals Safety Protocols for AEW's Jacksonville Return

AEW returns to Daily's Place in Jacksonville with a live episode today, thanks to a loosening of pandemic rules in Florida that started this month. Florida's task force on reopening the economy has said fans can return to live sporting events, but don't expect fans to be present on Dynamite tonight. What you can expect is the return of some major stars and a larger percentage of the roster. But is it safe?

According to the Jacksonville chapter of entertainment industry labor union IATSE, it looks like precautions are still being taken. Everyone at the venue from talent to crew to venue staff were all given rapid tests for COVID-19. In addition to social distancing rules, personal protective equipment was provided as well as sanitization stations.

In a Facebook post, the union wrote:

We reopened with AEW-All Elite Wrestling SAFELY at Daily's Place Amphitheatre today. A COVID-19 Rapid Test was given to every stagehand, road crew, venue staff and talent before entering the venue. Portable wash stations, hand sanitizer stations, mandatory masks covering, social distancing (especially at breaks) at all times. We didn't ask to be the first but we are and we are working to keep it SAFE! #iatse115 #unionstrong #returntoworksafely

You can see some photos from the venue at the link above. It's unclear whether AEW was filming matches today to air at a later date or just getting ready for tomorrow's show. Either way, it appears we've reached a turning point for wrestling during the pandemic era.

Hopefully, everything goes well and AEW, and next week WWE, can get back to putting on shows in a way that keeps everyone involved as safe as possible. Past reports have said that AEW talent have been quarantining for 14 days ahead of any scheduled tapings in order to keep everyone safe. Even so, travel still presents a possible danger, but hopefully those tests help out with that. For better or worse, a lot of the country is opening up again and the truth is no one knows what will happen. All we can do is hope that everyone stays safe.

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