As fears of the spread of coronavirus continue to mount, long-time co-host of The View, Joy Behar has announced she will be taking a break from the show as a precaution.
Variety reported that 77-year-old Behar first revealed the news on Thursday during a pre-taped episode that aired on Friday morning.
Her decision to distance herself from others is merely a safety measure against the virus.
Behar told her fellow hosts that she’s decided to follow advice from her daughter and stay at home to try and stay out of harm’s way.
She said, “This morning, I get a text from my daughter, and she says, ‘Are you staying home?’ And I said, ‘Why?’ And she said, ‘Get in reality, Mom.'”
Joy Behar is healthy: Break is just a precaution
She maintained that she was perfectly healthy, but “I’m in a higher risk group because of my age.” She added, “I don’t look my age, but I’m actually up there. The number makes me dizzy.”
Therefore, Behar won’t be appearing on the show next week; it is unknown at this point when she will return. Her fellow co-hosts, which include Whoopi Goldberg, Meghan McCain, and Sunny Hostin, have not said if they plan to do the same.
But the show is scheduled to continue for now, albeit without an audience. Many shows have now ceased tapping in front of studio audiences to help limit the virus’s spread.
Neither she nor any staff member who works on the daytime show has tested positive for the virus, and Behar has stressed this is purely a precaution.
Fingers crossed Behar will return to our screens as soon as possible.
Coronavirus has impacted the entertainment industry
The coronavirus is wreaking havoc at the moment within the entertainment industry, and there have been numerous cancellations and postponements of various events in movies, television, music, and sport.
One of America’s most beloved celebrities, Tom Hanks, announced he’d been infected while filming down in Australia. Many fans have expressed concern over his welfare due to his age and Type 2 Diabetes.
Yesterday saw several big announcements, such as the shutting down of Disneyland in California until the end of this month.
It also seems like pretty much every sporting event has been canceled or postponed too, with the XFL and the NCAA yesterday joining the NBA, NHL, and MLB in suspending play.
Joy Behar will take a break from ABC’s The View due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus. The show will continue with the remaining hosts.
The View airs weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.