EastEnders has announced it is halting production as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
It comes as the government has this week advised the public to socially distance to limit the spread of the virus, stop visiting pubs, clubs and large gatherings and work from home where possible.
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A statement from a BBC spokesperson said today: "In light of the spread of Covid-19, after much consideration, it has been decided that filming on EastEnders will be postponed until further notice. The decision was made after the latest government update.
"We will continue to follow the latest news and advice from the World Health Organisation and Public Health England."
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Episodes of the BBC soap are filmed six to eight weeks ahead of airing on TV.
Given that we don't yet know how long the set will be shut down, this means there is a chance there will be a period in the future where there are no episodes to air.
To combat this issue as much as possible, they added: "We have also taken the decision to reduce the amount of episodes we broadcast each week to two, so that we can ensure the audience can continue to enjoy EastEnders in their homes for as long as possible."
Episodes are now set to air Mondays at 8pm and Tuesdays at 7:30pm with immediate effect.
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The soap is said to have done everything it could to keep production running while also ensuring they could maintain a safe environment for their cast and crew.
However, due to the fact they often have a lot of people on set at one time, they eventually decided it was no longer possible while adhering to new government guidelines.
EastEnders isn't the only soap to cease production, as Holby City, Casualty and Doctors have all done the same.
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The BBC has promised to update fans as soon as they resume filming.
Featured Image Credit: BBCTopics: TV News, Eastenders, Coronavirus, TV Entertainment
