Neighbours SHUTS DOWN over coronavirus fears

The set of hit TV soap Neighbours has been shut down over coronavirus fears. 

On Wednesday, Channel 10 and Fremantle Media said the health and wellbeing of the cast and crew was a priority, and filming would be halted.

‘Neighbours has decided to take a short break this week to ensure the production model in place can withstand any potential impact of the urgent COVID-19 situation,’ a Channel 10 spokeswoman said.

‘The health and wellbeing of everyone on the set of Neighbours will always be our priority,’ the statement concluded. 

The decision to halt production was made after the show’s cast and crew met on Wednesday to discuss their concerns  about the pandemic, 10 Daily reported.    

The Neighbours’ shut down is expected to last until next Monday and the disruption will not impact the show’s on-air schedule. 

This comes after actress Madeleine West, confirmed on Wednesday that preventative measures were already being enforced on the long-running drama,

 

The mother-of-six, 39, 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,’ she said.

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.

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.

On Tuesday, Madeleine shared a photo to Instagram of a 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.