Coronation Street, Emmerdale, EastEnders and Hollyoaks will be allowed to continue filming during the third national lockdown.
On Monday (January 4), Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the country would go back into its highest level of restrictions, with all schools being closed and the public being told to work from home if possible.
However, as clarified by Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for digital, culture, media and sport, production on film and TV shows will be able to continue as normal, as long as they're still carrying out COVID-safety procedures.
What to Read Next
Related: Coronation Street creates a timeline issue as COVID-19 is introduced to the storylines
"For the arts/creative sectors, this means you should work from home unless you can't – exemptions include for training and rehearsal of performances, recording studios and film & TV production," Dowden tweeted.
While the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 are free to continue production on their soaps, this doesn't necessarily mean they will.
However, with the right safety precautions in place, they were all able to continue production during the second lockdown, which may suggest the same can be done again.
Digital Spy has reached out to the soaps for confirmation on whether they'll continue to film during the lockdown.
During the first lockdown, all of the soaps were brought to a halt, which resulted in the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 having to make changes to their broadcast schedules and even reduce their weekly output of episodes in order to drag out their storylines.
The information in this story is accurate as of the publication date. While we are attempting to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the situation surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to develop rapidly, so it's possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since publishing. For any concerns and latest advice, visit the World Health Organisation. If you're in the UK, the National Health Service can also provide useful information and support, while US users can contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Digital Spy now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.
Read more Coronation Street spoilers on our dedicated homepage
Coronation Street X Joanie - Gilroy Retro Newton And Ridley Sweatshirt
![The Road to Coronation Street [DVD]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1568634215-51d4CaKIrCL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "The Road to Coronation Street [DVD]")
![The Stars of Coronation Street - 50 Years, 50 Classic Characters [DVD]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1568634418-51we2BNTW1yL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "The Stars of Coronation Street - 50 Years, 50 Classic Characters [DVD]")
ITV The Stars of Coronation Street - 50 Years, 50 Classic Characters [DVD]
Want up-to-the-minute soaps news, spoilers and gossip on your social feeds? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Soaps Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @soapscoop Twitter account.
