General Hospital Pushes Back Production Restart Date

General Hospital planning to film new episodes this summer.

Updated July 12: Though General Hospital had planned to resume filming mid-July, the ABC soap opera is now aiming to start producing new episodes during the week of July 20, as reported by Deadline.

On June 26 we reported, according to TV Line General Hospital is preparing to resume production of new episodes in July. The ABC daytime soap opera shut down in March due to due health and safety concerns and has been showing previously broadcast episodes since May 21. The current plans are to begin filming new episodes in mid-July, but an exact date is not yet known.

There is no news on safety precautions ABC studios plan to take. Bold & Beautiful resumed production on July 15, but was forced to temporarily shut down due to a lack of tests and a false positive. They began resuming filming on June 24. CBS’ other daytime soap opera Young & Restless is expected to resume production tentatively on July 6. Given the guidelines outlined by the television and film industry for safely re-opening, it’s likely expected General Hospital will limit contact of actors and crew, socially distance while taping scenes, and avoid kissing, sex scenes and others such as fights that require extensive physical contact. Scenes involving children are being avoided as recommended by the industry. Bold & Beautiful took further steps to divide the sets into zones, and is making sure everyone is wearing face-coverings when possible. Testing is also being done to clear people as safe to be on set.

Days of our Lives still has enough episodes to take it into the fall. As we receive news of Days of our Lives resuming production, we’ll be sure to update readers. For now, browse our gallery of reasons Rebecca Budig should return to General Hospital as Hayden Barnes below.