'Casualty' is to air a powerful coronavirus-focused episode after filming resumed on the show.
Amanda Mealing as Connie Beauchamp
The BBC have confirmed the medical drama will feature a special ep that aims to portray the full extent of the impact that Covid-19 has had on Emergency Departments, with Clinical Lead Connie Beauchamp (Amanda Mealing) set to find her leadership qualities pushed to their limits after several of her team fall ill with the virus in the line of duty, including her lover Jacob Masters (Charles Venn).
Kate Oates, Head of Continuing Drama at BBC Studios, said: "We are thrilled to be back in production with BBC's longest-running medical show.
"The writers, 'Casualty' teams, cast and crew are back on set with stories that reflect the extraordinary times we are living through.
"We can't wait for the audience to see them and to be back in the Saturday night schedule."
Elsewhere in the episode, Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson) will be left devastated by the impact of coronavirus on local care homes, and paramedic Lev Malinovsky (Uriel Emil) has moved out of the family home during lockdown to protect his vulnerable young son, who is recovering from cancer.
What's more, Fenisha Khatri (Olivia D'Lima) could find it difficult to continue to keep her pregnancy a secret from the baby's father, Ethan Hardy (George Rainsford), and her boss Jan Jenning (Di Botcher).
The serial drama's stars have adhered to social distancing during filming.
Casualty's regular series will return to screens at a later date at the shorter duration of 40 minutes per episode.