'The View' Hosts Test Positive for COVID-19 Prior to Interview With Vice President Kamala Harris

Talk about a jam-packed episode! On Sept. 23rd's episode of TheView, the live audience, as well as the show's guests for the day, learned some surprising news about two of the hosts.

During the episode's live taping, producers asked Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro to exit the stage. The View's longtime host Joy Behar then revealed that her co-hosts had tested positive for COVID-19. While testing positive for COVID-19 is never good news, Sunny and Ana's diagnosis came at a very inconvenient time, as The View had a special guest interview with Vice President Kamala Harris scheduled.

CNN chief media correspondent, Brian Stelter, took to Twitter to recap the chaotic scene that unfolded that morning at ABC studios, where The View is filmed:

Jezebel editor-in-chief Laura Bassett also tweeted about the debacle, saying "Uhhhh Kamala Harris was about to come out on The View and two of the hosts just tested positive for COVID-19 in the middle of the show and had to leave the stage... What a freaking mess."

As the talk show scrambled to draw up a new game plan, Joy Behar, alongside co-host Sara Haines, filled the fully-masked audience in on what was happening with her castmates. "They'll be OK, I'm sure because both Sunny and Ana are vaccinated," she told audiences, noting that they were, in fact, breakthrough cases. Joy also announced that everything would be getting cleaned for Vice President Harris's interview.

Fortunately, Vice President Harris was understanding and continued to appear on the show. In order to adhere to safety precautions, she was interviewed in a private room and did not take to the main stage. During the interview, she touched on Sunny and Ana's test results.

"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 make all the difference because otherwise we would be concerned about hospitalization and worse," Vice President Harris said.

She also used her time on-air to discuss address another crisis: The U.S. Border Patrol agents who were seen whipping Haitian migrants via horseback at the U.S.-Mexico border. "We’ve got to do more, no question ... Haiti is our neighbor," she said.

While COVID-19 breakthrough cases are still considered to be rare, they have increased due to the Delta variant. Yet the risk of infection, hospitalization, and death remain much lower in vaccinated people compared to unvaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

You can also watch The View's entire interview with Vice President Kamala Harris below:

The best way to prevent contracting or spreading COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. Thorough hand washing, social distancing, and wearing a mask or cloth facial covering are also extremely important. If you feel you may be experiencing symptoms of coronavirus, which include persistent cough (usually dry), fever, shortness of breath, and fatigue, please call your doctor before going to get tested. For comprehensive resources and updates, visit the CDC website. If you are experiencing anxiety about the virus, seek out mental health support from your provider or visit NAMI.org.