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‘Peaky Blinders’ Producers Accused of Breaking COVID-19 Protocols

Employees say that production was allowed to continue for hours after a crew member tested positive for the coronavirus.

BBC gangster drama Peaky Blinders is being investigated following reports that filming continued on set after a positive COVID-19 test from a crew member, according to The Guardian. The test was later confirmed to be a false positive by the National Health Service, but employees say that filming had continued for hours after the initial result, potentially placing their health at risk, before another crew member heard about the positive test and called for halt. Workers are now asking why production was not immediately shut down after the first test result. British entertainment and media workers union Bectu confirmed that it is conducting an investigation. “Production should have informed everyone immediately and stopped filming,” said a rep for union Bectu, calling the failure to alert crew members a “lapse” that could “contribute towards the spread of the virus.” However, a spokesman for the show disputed these accusations, saying that they had “stood down” production after the initial test, “in line with [NHS] protocol.”