'Coronation Street' filming as normal despite cast member in quarantine with COVID-19

Albertina Lloyd
·Contributor
Updated ·2 min read
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 21: The famous Coronation St soap opera street sign hangs on the wall of the Rovers Return on November 21, 2014 in Manchester, England. Christmas on the street has been celebrated for 53 years since the first ever episode was screened. Visitors to the former Granada TV studios can now sample the festive atmosphere during their tour as the sets are decorated as they would be in the soap opera. The former studios at Granada Television have been turned into a visitor attraction since production of Coronation St moved to modern facilities in Salford. The attractions Christmas theme will be open between Novemeber 22nd and January 11th 2015. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
'Coronation Street' is filming as normal despite a cast member testing positive for coronavirus. (Getty Images)

Coronation Street is continuing filming as normal despite one cast member testing positive for coronavirus.

The Corrie team member tested positive for COVID-19 at the end of last week and has been forced to quarantine at home, which led to a slight rescheduling of filming while they are off set.

“We can confirm a member of the Coronation Street team has tested positive for coronavirus. The protocols we have in place for such an eventuality have been implemented and the individual is now self isolating at home,” a spokesperson for the show said in a statement.

Read more: 'Coronation Street' characters wear masks in corner shop after criticism

'Corrie' cast and crew keeping their distance on set. (ITV)
Coronation Street cast and crew keeping their distance on set. (ITV)

“Although we do not believe anyone has been within two metres of the individual, as a precaution, the production team who were working with the individual have been notified. In keeping with health and safety guidance, we have also undertaken an intensive clean of touch points in the cohort area where the individual was working and areas of the building they visited.

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

The ITV show, along with all British soap operas, was forced to stop filming during the government lockdown and had to cut back the number of episodes it airs each week in order to make pre-recorded episodes last.

Since returning to the cobbles, cast and crew are having to contend with social distancing guidelines which mean they cannot be within two metres of one another unless they live in the same household.

Sally Metcalfe and Debbie Webster are shown wearing face masks at the local shop in an upcoming episode of 'Coronation Street'. (ITV)
Sally Metcalfe and Debbie Webster are shown wearing face masks at the local shop in an upcoming episode of Coronation Street. (ITV)

This has made the physical contact necessary for love affairs and fight scenes synonymous with soap operas impossible to film without the use of computer-generated imagery.

Corrie – which typically films around three months in advance – is now returning to airing six episodes a week with two 30 minute episodes airing on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays.

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