The global coronavirus pandemic continues to adversely affect the broadcast and entertainment industry, who have had to make numerous adjustments to adapt. Just recently, the cast for the Fox NFL Sunday and the Fox NFL Kickoff were removed from the studio due to COVID-19 concerns.
Variety says Fox NFL Sunday cast members Jay Glazer, Michael Strahan, Terry Bradshaw, and Curt Menefee will be calling in remotely to the show. Fox NFL Kickoff cast members Colin Cowherd, Dave Wannstedt, Mike Vick, Tony Gonzalez, and Charissa Thompson will also be joining the broadcast remotely.
The only members to be in the studio for both shows are Chris Meyers, Reggie Bush, and Charles Woodson. Meyers will be hosting both shows, while Bush and Woodson will be there as analysts.
Deadline reports that a released statement from Fox points out that the move was made to comply with regulations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as from the Department of Public Health of Los Angeles County.
The publication notes that Fox did not specify whether anyone from the cast tested positive for COVID-19. It also notes that this is the second time Fox has pulled out hosts from a show because of COVID-19 concerns.
Earlier this month, Big Noon Kickoff cast members Rob Stone, Urban Meyer, Brady Quinn, Reggie Bush, and Matt Leinart were also taken off the air for similar COVID-19 concerns.
This certainly isn’t the first time hosts have temporarily had to broadcast from home because of COVID-19 concerns. Last month, Ryan Seacrest was prevented from coming to the studio to film Live with Kelly and Ryan after experiencing a “minimal cough.” The show required him to take a COVID-19 test before he could be allowed back.
Before that “minimal cough,” both Seacrest and Kelly Ripa were hosting their talk show remotely from their homes. Just like other television shows in the United States, Live with Kelly and Ryan could not be filmed in the studio since March.
Even shows in England have had to send cast members packing after testing positive for COVID-19. Competition show Strictly Come Dancing, for instance, had sent home contestant Nicola Adams after her dance partner, Katya Jones, tested positive for the coronavirus.
At the time, the production said that the decision was made in accordance with the strict health and safety protocols that the show has in place. Adams and Jones left the show with the distinction of being its first same-sex dancing couple.
Audiences can expect more cast pullouts like these from American shows as the global coronavirus pandemic continues to be an issue there. As of the CDC’s Nov. 22 update, 12,028,081 people are now confirmed to have COVID-19. Deaths from COVID-19 now amount to 255,076 people.