Neighbours ‘goes into LOCKDOWN’ to prevent the spread of coronavirus as Madeleine West reveals physical contact has been limited to elbow taps
Workplaces across Australia are taking steps to protect staff as more the 500 people are diagnosed with the deadly coronavirus.
And the set of Neighbours is no different, with actress Madeleine West confirming on Wednesday that preventative measures are already being enforced.
The mother-of-six, 39, told 9Honey: ‘Even out here in the iconic lot, we are now feeling the coronavirus pinch as our studio goes into lockdown.’
‘Even Ramsay Street is feeling the coronavirus pinch!’ Neighbours star Madeleine West (pictured) reveals the show set has gone into LOCKDOWN to prevent the spread of COVID-19
‘We were notified via a stern email on Monday that kissing and hugging, the hallmarks of great soap, have been outlawed in favour of handshakes. Yesterday saw contact further reduced to elbow taps,’ she added.
Madeleine added that makeup artists are now wearing hazmat suits and face masks to avoid direct contact with the actors.
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.
Scenes from set: Madeleine shared pictures on Instragam from the Neighbours set such as muesli and baked beans in individual plastic containers (left) and soap with a polite reminder to not hoard common items (right)
Working from home? Lastly she shared a picture of an online conference call with no less than 10 people involved, captioned: ‘Apocalyptic production meetings.’
Madeleine said the most ‘distressing’ aspect of the COVID-19 safety measures has been the fact many of the new rules aren’t environmentally friendly.
To reduce the spread of the virus, disposable cups are being used instead of KeepCups and all meals are being served on disposable plates.
Paper towels and wet wipes have also replaced tea towels.
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On Tuesday, Madeleine shared a photo to Instagram of an Skype conference call with Neighbours staff, which she captioned: ‘Apocalyptic production meetings.’
There are 556 confirmed coronavirus cases in Australia as of Wednesday afternoon.
Six people have died so far, with five in the state of New South Wales.
The ‘lockdown’ of the Neighbours set comes after 556 people have been infected with coronavirus in Australia and six people have died from the disease