Hollywood's cameras will soon begin rolling again after months of production shutdowns due to the novel coronavirus pandemic as California will allow film and television productions to resume as soon as June 12, state Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Friday.

Producers can restart filming with approval from local public health officials, according to a statement from the California Department of Public Health via the Governor's Office.

"Music, TV and film production may resume in California, recommended no sooner than June 12, 2020, and subject to approval by county public health officers within the jurisdictions of operations following their review of local epidemiological data including cases per 100,000 population, rate of test positivity, and local preparedness to support a health care surge, vulnerable populations, contact tracing and testing," said the department in the statement.

It also introduced guidelines for post-lockdown productions on film and television in Hollywood, saying that "To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, productions, cast, crew and other industry workers should abide by safety protocols agreed by labor and management, which may be further enhanced by county public health officers."

The state guidelines, which as Newsom announced last month should have been released earlier, was reportedly delayed amid nationwide anti-racism and -police protests and unrest over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minneapolis who was pinned to the ground by local police.

Earlier this week, a task force of Hollywood studios and labor unions proposed extensive coronavirus testing, daily symptom checks and other safeguards to allow actors and crew members to return to work, submitting a white paper to Newsom, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and other state governments across the country, industry magazine The Hollywood Reporter reported.

The 22-page document has provided recommended protocols for how to restart production while minimizing the risk of spreading COVID-19, which is believed to effectively give stakeholders a glimpse at what production could look like in the time of COVID-19.

The guidelines were developed by representatives from Walt Disney Co, Netflix Inc, AT&T Inc's Warner Bros and Comcast Corp's NBCUniversal, plus unions including SAG-AFTRA, IATSE and the Directors Guild of America, according to Reuters.

Most movie theaters across the globe have been shuttered to prevent the spread of the pandemic with filming projects halted worldwide since mid-March.

As COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing guidelines start to relax across the U.S. and in other countries, Hollywood's reopening will be seen as a major boost for the global film production industry.

(Cover image via VCG)