Call the Midwife has become the latest programme to suspend filming amid the coronavirus outbreak.
In a statement posted to Twitter, executive producer Dame Pippa Harris broke the news to fans that filming for the upcoming Christmas Special and Series 10 had been halted for the time being.
Call The Midwife joins a long list of BBC series that have been forced to stop filming due to the coronavirus outbreak, including Line Of Duty, Peaky Blinders and even veteran soap EastEnders.
Tragic news: Call the Midwife has become the latest programme to suspend filming amid the coronavirus outbreak
In the statement, they said: ‘Very sadly, we have had to postpone the filming of this year’s Call the Midwife Christmas Special and Series 10.
‘Our priority is the safety of our amazing cast and crew, and we don’t believe that shooting at the current time is feasible or responsible.
‘However, the moment the situation improves, the nuns and nurses of Nonnatus House will be back on their bikes, bringing babies and joy into your living rooms.
‘We send our love to the worldwide Call the Midwife family, and look forward to being back in Poplar soon.’
The statement ended with the message: ‘On behalf of everybody at Call The Midwife, we wish you all good health.’
Tragedy: In a statement posted to Twitter, executive producer Dame Pippa Harris broke the news to fans that filming for the upcoming Christmas Special and Series 10 had been halted
We’ll be back! The period drama also shared a clip from the show’s most recent episode, before vowing that they would return to filming in the futture
The show’s account then tweeted a clip of the final scene from the most recent series, which featured a poignant message from narrator Vanessa Redgrave.
It was captioned: ‘Love is the constant by which we endure all writers and all storms.’
In a statement a BBC spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘In light of the spread of Covid-19, after much consideration, Neal Street Productions the producers of Call The Midwife have postponed filming in consultation with and supported by the BBC.
‘We will continue to review all productions on a case-by-case basis and will continue to follow the latest news and advice from the Foreign Office, World Health Organisation and Public Health England.’
Beloved: Call The Midwife follows a group of midwives and nuns working in the East End in Poplar during the 1950s and 60s, and has been on screens since 2012
Call The Midwife follows a group of midwives and nuns working in the East End in Poplar during the 1950s and 60s, and has been on screens since 2012.
It is only the latest BBC programme to suspend filming due to the virus outbreak, after the network announced a slew of shows would be halted a day earlier.
Among them were veteran soaps EastEnders, Casualty and Holby City, while dramas Line Of Duty and Peaky Blinders have also suspended filming until further notice.
In a statement shared Wednesday the BBC said: ‘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.
‘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.’
Tragic: It is only the latest in a long line of BBC shows to suspend filming due to the virus outbreak, including veteran soap EastEnders
In reference to their scripted programmes Casualty, Doctors, EastEnders, Holby City, Pobol y Cwm and River City, the corporation said: ‘In light of the spread of Covid-19, after much consideration, it has been decided that filming on all BBC Studios continuing dramas 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 organisations.’
A spokesperson for the soap has told MailOnline that while filming has been suspended, scriptwriters and other members of production are working remotely where possible.
Cut: ITV soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale are also reducing their number of weekly episodes in a bid to ration shows they’ve already filmed
Following this news, it was revealed that the BBC Studios in Elstree have been completely closed.
A sign outside the deserted studio warns staff members to stay away if they suffer from any symptoms.
On ITV, it has been confirmed that live shows including Loose Women and Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway would be continuing without an audience, while This Morning has scaled back it’s production crew.
Meanwhile Coronation Street and Emmerdale have confirmed that filming will continue, though episodes will be written to allow elderly cast members to stay at home, and both shows have also reduced their weekly broadcasts.
On Channel 4, Countdown and The Last Leg will also continue filming without a live audience while Hollyoaks star Sarah Jayne Dunn has also announced that filming will continue for the time being, with the show only airing three episodes a week.