Taking a break! Joy Behar is putting her appearances on The View on pause amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The talk show host, 77, has decided to take a temporary leave of absence after the virus. She announced her short-term departure during the Thursday, March 12, taping of The View, which will air on Friday, March 13, Variety reported.
“I’m in a higher risk group because of my age, but I’m perfectly healthy,” Behar reveals on the show, according to the outlet. “I don’t look my age, but I’m actually up there. The number makes me dizzy.”
While no one on the show, or any of its staff, have tested positive for the virus, the comedian has chosen to remove herself from any possible harm for the foreseeable future. Starting next week, she will not be taping the show, but as of now, her costars Whoopi Goldberg, Meghan McCain and Sunny Hostin will continue in their roles.
More than 10 major U.S. events, organizations and theme parks announced their closures or postponements of concerts, games, and more on Thursday. The MLB has pushed back opening day for 2020 by at least two weeks, and stopped all remaining spring training games, effective as of Thursday.
Disneyland will shut down as of Saturday, March 14, until the end of the month, which marks its fourth closure in its 65-year history. March Madness was canceled after NCAA officials previously told fans that only the players would be at the games.
Films such as A Quiet Place Part II and Fast and Furious 9 have pushed their release dates until its safe for people to go see them in theaters.
These closures and Behar’s announcement came one day after actor Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, revealed that they had tested positive for coronavirus while working in Australia.
“Hello, folks,” Hanks, 63, began his message to his follower via Instagram on Wednesday, March 11. “Rita and I are down here in Australia. We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive.”
The Toy Story actor added: “The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed. We Hanks’ will be tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no? We’ll keep the world posted and updated.”
As of Thursday, The New York Times reported that 132,300 people worldwide have gotten sick from the virus and 4,954 have died, most of which have been in mainland China.
Given the constantly evolving nature of COVID-19, Us Weekly wants our readers to have access to the most accurate resources. For the most up-to-date coronavirus information, guidance, and support, consult the CDC, WHO, and information from local public health officials. If you’re experiencing coronavirus symptoms, call your primary care provider for medical advice.
