‘Chicago Fire’ Suspends Production For 2 Weeks After Positive COVID-19 Tests

EXCLUSIVE: NBC’s Chicago Fire has paused filming its ninth season for two weeks due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests, I have learned. I hear the Chicago-based firefighter drama shut down production on Sunday, Nov. 8.

Several individuals on the Chicago Fire production team, believed to be in Zone 1, produced positive results when tested as part of the show’s COVID safety protocols.

The positives triggered guidelines set by the sate/county and outlined in the NBCU Production Playbook, including contact tracing.

Since the affected individuals performed duties that required close proximity to other members of the cast and crew, production was paused for 14 days out of an abundance of caution by Wolf Entertainment and Universal TV.

A month and a half ago, another Chicago drama, Chicago Med, also suspended production for two weeks after two different individuals had positive tests within a week.

Chicago Med was the first Chicago One drama to restart production Sept. 22 in Chicago. Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. followed with Oct. 6 production start.

Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med all premiere their new seasons tonight, Nov. 11.

Production shutdowns have become a regular occurrence as the amount of positive COVID-19 tests on shows has been on the rise amid a new wave of infections nationwide. The three Chicago dramas film in Chicago.

Illinois is setting COVID infection records. The sate reported another record-breaking total of 12,623 new cases on Tuesday. According to local news outlets, the surge also has led to hospitals in some parts of the state getting packed with triple the number of coronavirus patients they saw during the first wave of the pandemic in the spring.

Scripted series that have paused production due to positive COVID-19 tests so far also include CBS All Access’ Why Women Kill, Apple TV+’s Mystic Quest, ABC’s Call Your Mother, TNT’s Claws, HBO’s The Gilded Age, Nat Geo’s Genius: Aretha, Netflix’s Vikings: Valhalla, Fox’s The Resident, Peacock’s Rutherford Falls, ABC’s For the People, CBS’ Young Sheldon, Disney+’s Big Shot, the CW’s All American, daytime drama Days Of Our Lives.