schema:articleBody
| - A cluster of coronavirus cases linked to the Australian version of the global TV hit "The Masked Singer" grew on Tuesday after production was halted over the weekend when a dancer tested positive for the virus, its network said. Celebrity judge Dannii Minogue and the rest of the show's cast and crew were sent into self-isolation for two weeks as the number of confirmed infections increased to 16, not including any hosts or judges, according to Network 10. The talent-contest programme is filmed in Melbourne, capital of the state of Victoria, which is back in lockdown following a resurgence of the deadly respiratory disease. Host Osher Gunsberg said the shutdown hit production right as the crew prepared to shoot the final episode of the season. "We were literally two hours away from hitting record on our grand finale," Gunsberg told Australian TV show The Project on Sunday, speaking from isolation. "The pyrotechnics were loaded, everyone was in costume, we are ready to go... and they were brave enough to pull the emergency brake on this freight train," he said. The network appears to be trying to keep a lid on the identity of its famous finalists, who wear elaborate costumes that hide their face as they perform for votes. The network said it still planned to shoot the final episode, but would announce a way forward next week. Recently the spread of the virus has been slowing in Victoria, with the state recording 148 new cases and eight more deaths from coronavirus on Tuesday. Earlier this year Australian TV soap opera Neighbours, also filmed in Melbourne, became one of the first English-speaking productions to return to set during the pandemic. Despite the outbreak of cases in Melbourne, the rest of the country has dealt with the outbreak relatively well, with most regions reporting zero or just a handful of cases daily. Australia has recorded over 25,000 cases in a population of 25 million, with 525 deaths. al/kaf
|