Popular SABC 1 soapie Uzalo has become the latest big name show to halt production due to Covid-19 after a crew member tested positive for the coronavirus.

The news was confirmed to SowetanLIVE's sister publication TshisaLIVE by the SABC on Friday.

In a statement, the broadcaster said it has been notified by producers, Stained Glass TV,  that it was shutting down on Friday and would “follow all the necessary protocols”.

It said the broadcast of the soapie would not be affected.

The broadcaster confirmed that all other productions which had been halted because of the virus had now resumed.

This includes Muvhango, which put a stop to filming last month to reduce the risk of exposure to Covid-19 on and off the set.

“The SABC can confirm that Muvhango has resumed production and will continue to adhere to all the precautionary measures under alert level 3, as communicated by government,” Acting SABC Spokesperson, Ms Mmoni Seapolelo, said.

Speaking to TshisaLIVE in an recent interview, Uzalo actress Thuthuka Mthembu said the production had gone a long way to ensure safety on set. This included limiting the number of people on set for a recent wedding scene, social distancing, wearing of masks and sanitising before exchanging rings.

“The work we do requires us to get up close and personal with each other, so it has been incredibly challenging and we have had to do things differently.

“We have our masks on and we are doing a lot of communicating with our eyes. It has to happen for the safety of all of us.”