Back to work! Australian soap Neighbours resumes filming after a coronavirus lockdown
Neighbours will resume filming after it was announced on Wednesday production had shut down due to a coronavirus scare.
Staff returned to the set in Nunawading, Melbourne, on Friday after an employee who had come into contact with a COVID-19 patient tested negative.
Producers are now taking precautions to reduce the spread of the deadly virus, including dividing up the crew and allocating work areas to enable social distancing.
Back to work! Australian soap Neighbours (cast pictured) will resume filming after it was announced on Wednesday production had shut down due to a coronavirus scare
The cast won’t return to the set until Monday and intimate scenes are being limited according to TV Tonight.
The temporary shutdown was announced on Wednesday, which also happened to be the Australian soap’s 35-year anniversary.
Actress Madeleine West, who plays Dee Bliss and also directs episodes, revealed this week that preventative measures were being enforced on set.
Phew! Staff returned to the set in Nunawading, Melbourne , on Friday after an employee who had come into contact with a COVID-19 patient tested negative
On Wednesday, she wrote in her column for 9Honey: ‘Even out here in the iconic lot, we are now feeling the coronavirus pinch as our studio goes into lockdown.
‘We were notified via a stern email on Monday that kissing and hugging, the hallmarks of a great soap, have been outlawed in favour of handshakes.
‘Yesterday saw contact further reduced to elbow taps.’
Madeleine added that makeup artists were wearing hazmat suits and face masks to avoid direct contact with the actors.
‘We are feeling the coronavirus pinch’: Actress Madeleine West, who plays Dee Bliss and also directs episodes, revealed this week that preventative measures were being enforced on set
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison banned indoor gatherings of more than 100 people to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
As a result, scenes that used to require many extras, such as weddings and funerals, now just have three people in the background.
Neighbours premiered in March 1985 on Channel Seven. It was cancelled four months later, before moving to Channel 10 in 1986.
There are 710 confirmed coronavirus cases in Australia as of Friday. Seven people have died so far.
Working at home? On Tuesday, Madeleine shared a photo to Instagram of a Skype conference call with Neighbours staff, which she captioned: ‘Apocalyptic production meetings’