A Coronation Street actor has tested positive for coronavirus - here's what it means for the programme

An unnamed member of the Coronation St cast is self-isolating after testing positive for Coronavirus (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)An unnamed member of the Coronation St cast is self-isolating after testing positive for Coronavirus (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
An unnamed member of the Coronation St cast is self-isolating after testing positive for Coronavirus (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

An unnamed member of Coronation Street’s cast has tested positive for coronavirus and is now self-isolating, after falling ill last week, it has been reported.

As a result, adjustments have had to be made to how the soap is being filmed, and staff carried out an intensive clean in all the areas in which the affected cast member had been working.

Will filming be affected?

Measures have been taken to mitigate the risk, and the show will remain airing as normal for the time being.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, a spokesperson for the soap confirmed that a member of the team has tested positive for Covid-19 and is now self-isolating at home.

The spokesperson said, "The protocols we have in place for such an eventuality have been implemented and the individual is now self isolating at home.

"Although we do not believe anyone has been within 2m of the individual, as a precaution, the production team who were working with the individual have been notified.

"We believe the situation has been contained and filming continued on Monday."

Major changes on set

This comes just as the show returned to its usual billing of six episodes per week on Monday, after episodes were rationed to three per week during the pandemic to avoid the show being forced to take a hiatus, which would have been its first in 60 years.

Even prior to the cast member testing positive, the show’s producers had made major changes to the way the Trafford Wharf set has been run since it reopened in June.

Location filming has been postponed indefinitely, any scenes involving hugging and kissing have been banned due to social distancing, and so has the non-essential use of props.

The number of people working in the studio is being kept to a minimum, both cast and crew members have their temperatures taken as they arrive, and a colour-coordinated one-way system has been installed.

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