‘Big Brother Canada’ ups coronavirus protection for houseguests

The producers of Big Brother Canada (BBCAN) are now taking additional safety precautions to protect their Season 8 houseguests amid concerns of the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.

On March 22, Insight Productions — the company that produces the reality TV series — issued an official statement revealing the steps now being taken to ensure the safety of its contestants as well as its staff and crew members.

“Insight is taking every precaution to keep our crew and house guests safe on Big Brother Canada while delivering programming to audiences across the country when they need it most,” it wrote on Sunday.

“The safety of the crew and house guests is paramount to Insight and as such we are taking every precaution to ensure a healthy set and workplace. Many additional practices have been implemented including, but not limited to, placing sanitizers at every entrance; daily professional cleaning and disinfection of all edit suites, control rooms, studio spaces, and offices; elimination of the live audience; adjusting the creative so that more staff can work from home, etc.”

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The company also revealed that a “medical professional” had confirmed there are currently “no symptoms of COVID-19 in the house.”

“Insight and Corus continue to aggressively monitor the production and are constantly evaluating our practices and adjusting if necessary,” the statement read. “The onsite crew members are checked for symptoms prior to entry on a daily basis.

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“We are continuing to keep our staff and house guests updated on a regular basis as the situation evolves.”

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BBCAN8 houseguests were first alerted of the global pandemic last week and chose to stay on the show.

This season’s finale is scheduled to air on May 21.

New episodes of BBCAN continue to air Wednesdays (7 p.m. ET/PT), Thursdays (8 p.m. ET/PT) and Sundays (8 p.m. ET/PT).

#BBCAN8 extends from series to site at BigBrotherCanada.ca with free live feeds, hit-and-miss moments from the show, houseguest interviews, live show votes and more, beginning early March. Stream Season 8 along with past seasons for free on GlobalTV.com and the Global TV App.

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To learn about all houseguests, visit bigbrothercanada.ca.

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