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Live television doesn’t always go according to plan – something that Ana Navarro and Sunny Hostin know all too well!
On Friday September 25, we witnessed something we never thought we would witness, as The View co-hosts both tested positive for COVID-19 live on-air. Their positive results were aired just minutes ahead of their scheduled interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, resulting in them quickly being rushed off the set. However, on Monday’s show, co-host Joy Behar said that those tests were actually false positives, and confirmed that both Navarro and Hostin, who were sat alongside her, are COVID free following many, many negative tests. It was a chaotic few days, to say the least!
“This is the update: We were all given numerous, numerous COVID tests,” Behar told viewers on Monday. “I am thrilled to report that Sunny and Ana’s Friday results turned out to be false positives, and everyone is safe, healthy and COVID-free. No one’s got it. It was a mistake of some sort.”
Everyone who works on The View – on air and behind the scenes – is tested for COVID-19 multiple times a week, so it’s unclear how Navarro and Hostin were allowed to go on-air without receiving their test results first. The View‘s executive producer, Brian Teta, issued an on-air apology to the ladies for what they went through, adding that “mistakes were made” but health and safety is always the number one priority.
“It was just an unbelievable set of circumstances, and we found out moments before we came back on the air,” Teta said about how their abrupt removal from the set was handled. “And in that moment, all I could think of was that we had to keep the hosts safe, and we had to keep the vice president safe — she could not walk out no matter what.”
“And that led to some really awkward television that I’d like to have back if I could, but I really want to acknowledge and apologize to Sunny and Ana, because in the midst of all this chaos, they were put in this position where they had this information put out on television,” he continued. “It was unfortunate that mistakes were made, but I can confidently say that we have very vigorous safety protocols, that everyone is regularly tested, and I’m just so relieved that you guys are healthy, that everyone is healthy and nobody was ever in danger.”
Navarro seemed to be in good spirits following Friday's chaotic show, and updated her followers on Twitter with a cute but informative message. "Whew! Very thankful to have gotten a third negative PCR test result this afternoon. Headed home to Chacha’s dad," she wrote on Twitter, alongside a picture of herself wearing a leopard print face covering, posing with her dog, Chacha.
On Monday's show, after it was once again confirmed that both Navarro and Hostin tested negative several times, the ladies spoke about how Friday's events affected them. "It was really uncomfortable for my results to be released publicly before I even knew what was going on," Hostin said. "My child's school had to be notified. She had to be pulled out. My parents had to be rushed to be tested. And my son was notified at school as well. For me, it was particularly triggering because not too long ago I delivered the eulogy at my in-law's funeral. So you can imagine how I felt thinking that I could possibly be COVID-positive and my family could experience another loss, a loss that I don't think my husband could handle."
Navarro also spoke about her own experience, adding that she was extra-fearful because she had just spent the day with the vice president's sister, niece, and brother-in-law prior to receiving the false positive results. "I'm thinking, 'I'm Typhoid Mary and I'm going to wipe out the entire Harris family in one week,'" she joked. "I really can't tell you how grateful I am to the vice president's team, that they rolled with the punches — that they went along with it. "Kamala, come back! We will Bubble Wrap ourselves. We will float in disinfectant!"
We're glad that everyone working on The View is safe and COVID-free, and hope that on-air chaos doesn’t ensue again.
