Bridgerton filming shuts down for a second time in a week due to COVID case

The series' second season is now on an "indefinite" hiatus, with the unnamed person in question currently isolating

By William Hughes | July 17, 2021 | 6:22pm

TV News Bridgerton

Bridgerton filming shuts down for a second time in a week due to COVID case

Luke Newton in Bridgerton Photo: Liam Daniel/Netflix

Reminding us all that we may be “done” with COVID—but COVID ain’t done with us—the filming of Netflix’s second season of Bridgerton has now been shut down for the second time in a week due to a report of a positive COVID-19 test on set. Per Deadline, the Shonda Rhimes-produced series previously shut down for 24 hours on Thursday, after a crew member tested positive; it’s now been hit with an “indefinite” hiatus from Netflix, and while the streamer hasn’t said who the person in question—now isolating—who tested positive was, the “indefinite” status suggests it was someone it would be difficult to film around. (That, or, two such incidents in a single week has the service spooked enough to do a longer re-evaluation of its risk management strategies in regards to the disease.)

Bridgerton is, of course, filming in the UK, where the Delta variant of COVID-19 has recently kicked off a “third wave” of rising infections. (Happily, the country’s vaccination program seems to have been at least moderately effective at keeping the uptick from leading to a major rise in hospitalizations or deaths.) The news comes just as the U.K. is preparing to lift the majority of COVID-related restrictions in the country, including social distancing and face mask mandates; despite the rise in cases, many of those requirements are set to be downgraded to “recommendations” on Monday.