Channel Nine’s The Block sets up hand sanitiser stations and instils strict hygiene rules on set as filming continues in Melbourne amid coronavirus outbreak
The set of Channel Nine’s The Block is taking precautions on the set amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Photos on the Brighton worksite, in Melbourne, show several hand sanitiser stations set up to prevent any spread of the COVID-19.
Outside of the contestants house was a hand sanitiser bottle that cautioned all people entering the site.
The show must go on! Channel Nine’s The Block has sets up several hand sanitiser stations on set as filming continues at the work site in Melbourne amid coronavirus outbreak. Pictured: Host of The Block Scott Cam
The sign read ‘you must wash your hands using the sanitiser provided.’
The pump bottle of the bright blue product attached at the entrance read ‘Block Brew’ and contained 66 per cent alcohol.
On other parts of the building site there were bottles of hand soap wash set up to encourage the contestants, builders and handy men on site to keep their hands clean.
Strong warnings: Signs were all over the site instructing of the new strict hygiene rules
Set up: Photos on the Brighton worksite, in Melbourne, show several hand sanitiser stations set up to prevent any spread of the COVID-19
Sanitising station: The sign read ‘you must wash your hands using the sanitiser provided’
Keeping clean: The pump bottle of the bright blue product attached at the entrance read ‘Block Brew’ and contained 66 per cent alcohol
This comes after producers of The Block announced that filming for the sixteenth season of the renovation reality TV show would continue despite the growing numbers of COVID-19 in Australia.
In a statement released on nine.com.au on Wednesday, the network announced that production will going continue but that the site will be closed to anyone ‘not essential’ to the show.
The network also said producers are going to ‘unprecedented levels to make the site safe for everyone’ and are giving briefings to the contestants.
More stations: Another house on the Brighton work site also had a hand sanitiser pump bottle set up
Prevention: The sign encouraged the contestants, builders and handy men on site to keep their hands clean
The executive Producer and creator of The Block, Julian Cress, said: ‘We are going to follow all of the practices and all of the advice that has been given, we are practising social distancing, we are putting into effect everything that has been suggested.’
He said producers have also offered to fly the families of three couples, on the show who have children, to Melbourne where filming is currently underway.
Julian explained that no contestant has said ‘they want to give up and go home’ and the Network will continue filming for as long as possible.
Back on: This comes after producers of The Block announced that filming for the sixteenth season of the renovation reality TV show would continue despite the growing numbers of COVID-19 in Australia
‘The contestants want to see this thing to the very end and they have made that very clear to us, our job is to help them do that,’ he said.
‘We have also in the past 48 hours spoken to every one of our suppliers, we’ve looked into their supply chain issues, delivery schedules [and] with their help we have been able to pre-order everything we need to finish this job,’ he said.
As of the evening of March 21, the total number of people diagnosed with the virus in Australia is 1,073 including seven deaths.