Two hosts of the popular daytime show “The View” tested positive for Covid and left the set moments before a scheduled interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, according to a published report.
Host Sunny Hostin and guest host Ana Navarro were mid-way through the Friday program when they learned from one of the producers during a commercial break that their COVID-19 test results came back positive and were asked to step away from the table.
“Since this is going to be a major news story any minute now,” Behar said. “What happened is Sunny and Ana apparently tested positive. No matter how hard we try these things happen. They probably have a breakthrough case and they will be ok I am sure since they are both vaccinated. And, the Vice President is being prepped for her arrival.”
Behar continued hosting with remaining co-host Sara Haines, leading a Q&A session with the audience, as the tables and chairs were being cleaned and disinfected.
A White House official said Harris did not have contact with the women and the show went on with the vice president conducting the interview from a remote location in the building, which ran a little shorter than originally planned.
“I hope that you’re in a safe spot right now. We did everything we could to make sure that you were safe because we value you so much,” Behar told Harris at the start of their interview,CNN reported
Harris thanked Behar and the audience. “Listen, Sunny and Ana are strong women and I know they’re fine but it really also does speak to the fact that they’re vaccinated and vaccines really do make all the difference. Because otherwise, we would be concerned about hospitalization or worse.”
The vice president, who received both doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on live television months ago, has been encouraging Americans to get vaccinated and took this moment of live airtime to share the importance of getting the vaccine.
“I’ve been watching, like many of you, with heartache, with the videos of people who are in an ICU bed, who did not get vaccinated, pleading with their family members, ‘please get vaccinated,'” Harris said.
She continued: “You know, when I think of it in the context of any one of us who have had these awful experiences of holding the hands of a loved one who is in an ICU bed, or is near death — like, don’t put your families through that. The vaccine is free. It is safe, and it will save your life. So folks just need to get vaccinated.”
Despite the shorter interview, the vice president was able to announce the administration’s efforts to invest $1.2 billion dollars in broadband access for school children across the country, E! reported.