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WWE has been named a ‘Essential service’ by the province of Florida, which is as of now on lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision means that WWE will be able to continue taping Raw, SmackDown, and NXT live from its Performance Center in Orlando, where WrestleMania 36 was held.
When asked at a press conference about WWE being able to go ahead with its tapings during the lockdown, Orange County mayor Jerry Demings explained: “I think initially there was a review that was done and they were not initially deemed an essential business.
“With some conversation with the governor’s office regarding the governor’s order, they were deemed an essential business. And so therefore, they were allowed to remain open.”
The news that WWE would continue producing live weekly television came after the company confirmed that a WWE employee had tested positive for Covid-19.
The employee, who was not named, was said to have had “no contact with anyone from WWE” since showing symptoms and has “made a complete recovery”.
When asked about the company having an employee who tested positive, Demings said: “You know, that’s like a little family, a small family of professional athletes that wrestle.
“And if one of my family members tested positive in my house, that would be concerning to me. We would have to make provisions in my house to make sure that the rest of us not get infected.
“And so I would assume that from a business perspective, the WWE is doing that type of analysis of its own family.”
In a statement, WWE welcomed the decision by Florida to allow it to continue with its tapings, saying it was delivering “a sense of hope, determination and perseverance”.
“We believe it is now more important than ever to provide people with a diversion from these hard times,” WWE said.
“We are producing content on a closed set with only essential personnel in attendance following appropriate guidelines while taking additional precautions to ensure the health and wellness of our performers and staff.
“As a brand that has been woven into the fabric of society, WWE and its Superstars bring families together and deliver a sense of hope, determination and perseverance.”
Last month, the company outlined the measures that were in place at the Performance Center to ensure the safety of performers and staff who were working at WrestleMania.
