Live elements of the show will largely be limited to host Paul Rudd’s monologue — musical guest Charli XCX’s performance was canceled on Saturday
The surge in Omicron variant infections in New York has sent “Saturday Night Live” into an eleventh-hour scramble to contain the health threat posed by the latest highly contagious iteration of COVID. IATSE crew members on the show are said to have became vocal on Thursday and Friday amid the increasingly dire reports of infection rates and hospitalizations from the variant. Sources close to the situation said executive producer Lorne Michaels and NBC were in “constant contact” with crew members and local health officials to determine the best course for delivering “SNL”s final installment of 2021. On Saturday, NBC said tonight’s show would be produced with no live audience and a limited crew, with the strictest COVID protocols in place. It’s understood that numerous cast and crew members have tested positive for COVID in recent days, another factor that has made producing tonight’s show difficult.
