‘Saturday Night Live’ Found a Covid Loophole for Its Live Audience by Paying Them as Employees

The cast of “Saturday Night Live” weren’t the only people live from the show’s New York Studio during its Season 46 premiere over the weekend.The New York Times reports on Tuesday that members of the “Saturday Night Live” studio audience who attended the show’s taping last weekend were paid, effectively making them cast members.

Though New York state guidelines prohibit the public from attending live television shows, the “Saturday Night Live” team’s loophole allowed the show to be filmed in accordance with the state’s reopening guidelines, which were enacted to slow the spread of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.One attendee told the New York Times that he and seven friends each received checks for $150 once the show had ended and added that they were not informed they would be paid.

The attendee also noted that they were asked to take a “rapid virus test” and

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