The hand sanitizer shortage has hit The View! Meghan McCain shared a stern warning directed at staffers of the talk show amid mounting fears of the coronavirus outbreak.
The View cohost, 35, posted a photo via Instagram on Friday, March 6, of hand sanitizer taped to a mirror with a note that read, “Is it worth losing your job if you steal this?”
McCain captioned the photo, “Seen backstage @theviewabc 😂 #coronavirus #contagion.”
As of Saturday, March 7, more than 104,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, more than 3,300 people have lost their lives to the disease in the past three months. People who have recently traveled to countries heavily affected by the virus — including China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea — have been advised to self-quarantine.
As of Friday, the state of New York, where The View is filmed, has 45 confirmed cases of the virus — one of the highest number of cases in the U.S.
As the virus continues to spread, commercial hand sanitizers have been sold-out both in stores and online, forcing people to create their own DIY disinfectants with ingredients such as aloe vera and rubbing alcohol.
The WHO’s International Health Regulations Emergency Committee declared coronavirus a worldwide “public health emergency,” which has already affected the entertainment industry.
CBS announced in February the production of season 33 of The Amazing Race was halted “due to increased concerns and uncertainty regarding the coronavirus around the world.” The network’s statement noted that “all contestants and production staff” were on their way home and that no one involved in the show has “contracted the virus or shown symptoms.”
One month later, SXSW announced that it will be canceling the annual Texas film festival in accordance with Austin Mayor Steve Adler’s order to postpone the event.
“We are devastated to share this news with you,” SXSW organizers said in a statement on Friday. “The show must go on’ is in our DNA, and this is the first time in 34 years that the March event will not take place. We are now working through the ramifications of this unprecedented situation. As recently as Wednesday, Austin Public Health stated that ‘there’s no evidence that closing SXSW or any other gatherings will make the community safer.’ However, this situation evolved rapidly, and we honor and respect the City of Austin’s decision.”
