Saturday Night Live CANCELS live audience and limits cast and crew on set due to COVID-19 outbreak

Saturday Night Live canceled their live audience for tonight’s show with Paul Rudd hosting and musical guest Charli XCX bowed out of her scheduled performance due to the limited number of people permitted on the set following an outbreak of positive COVID-19 cases. 

The weekly sketch comedy show was on the verge of shelving the entire production after ‘four actors’ tested positive for coronavirus and ‘three others’ have called out because they are now ‘fearful’ about coming to NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Center, according to the New York Post.

Insiders told the publication that executive producer Lorne Michaels had tested positive, adding that the ‘show must go on but don’t expect to see Colin Jost, Sarah Sherman or (Aristotle) Athari.’ But later reports indicated that Michaels did not test positive and that he was making an effort to salvage tonight’s episode.

Jost’s seat as co-anchor of the satirical news segment Weekend Update will be filled by star alum Tina Fey, according to the Post. 

Fey, who once held Jost’s role as head writer of the popular sketch comedy series, co-anchored Weekend Update alongside Amy Poehler from 2004 until 2006.

She also shared the anchor role with then-SNL star Jimmy Fallon, who is currently host of the Tonight Show.

SNL is just the latest New York City institution that has experienced disruptions caused by positive COVID-19 cases among staffers. The Radio City Rockettes and several Broadway productions were forced to shut down after infections were reported among staffers.

Key members of the Brooklyn Nets professional basketball team, including Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, as well as their crosstown rival New York Knicks have also been placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

The spike in COVID cases throughout the five boroughs has New Yorkers furious at Mayor Bill de Blasio and his administration for failing to make available an adequate number of COVID-19 testing kits.

In recent days, city residents have had to wait for hours in the cold and rain outside pharmacies in order to undergo testing for COVID. 

‘Due to the limited crew at tonight’s taping of snl my musical performances will no longer be able to go ahead,’  Charli XCX wrote on her Twitter account.

‘I am devastated and heartbroken.’

She then urged her fans to ‘look after yourselves out there and make sure you get vaccinated if you haven’t already.’ 

Sources said the ‘cast and crew were currently in rehearsals at Studio 8H for the episode,’ but its unclear how tonight’s episode would proceed and that ‘everyone is fearful here.’

‘Due to the recent spike in the Omicron variant and out of an abundance of caution, there will be no live audience for tonight’s taping of ‘Saturday Night Live’ and the show will have limited cast and crew,’ a statement read. 

‘The show continues to follow all government safety guidelines in addition to a rigorous testing protocol.’  

The insider revealed that Cecily Strong was one of the cast members ‘who has voiced concern over the outbreak.’

This week’s episode is set to star Paul Rudd and mark his fifth time hosting the popular comedy program.

English singer and songwriter Charli XCX is slated to return as musical guest nearly six years after debuting on the show with her songs Boom Clap and Break the Rules.