AUSTRALIAN soap operas Home and Away and Neighbours are both set to cut back on weekly episodes amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Channel 5 confirmed that episodes will now only air twice a week instead of the usual five.
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The change is set to take place next week.
The broadcaster said: “As a result of COVID-19, we have taken the decision to reduce the number of episodes for Neighbours and Home and Away from five to two per week for both soaps, so that our viewers can continue to enjoy them for as long as possible.
“Both programmes will air on Monday and Fridays, effective from Monday 30th March.”
It comes one week after Neighbours was forced to shut down production due to the deadly bug.
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The soap halted filming on the day of its 35th anniversary producers confirmed.
A spokeswoman for Australia’s Channel 10 said: “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.
“The health and wellbeing of everyone on the set of Neighbours will always be our priority.”
Home and Away soon followed suit by closing down production for the foreseeable.
A Channel Seven spokesman told TV Tonight: “Seven Studios advised today that it would halt filming of Home and Away immediately.
“It confirmed that no cast or crew had tested positive for COVID-19, but that the decision was made due to the increasing logistical hurdles related to the COVID-19 situation.”
It’s not known at this time how long production will be interrupted.
Australia so far has 2,136 infections, and has seen eight deaths – with 427 being confirmed in the past 24 hours.
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