Ellen DeGeneres takes drastic step amid coronavirus threat
Some of the most well known talk shows in the US have reacted to the coronavirus by cancelling their live audiences.
The decision follows as the United States is gearing up to deal with the COVID-19 threat.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The View, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers have all released press statements saying they will no longer allow a studio audience to look on while they film, in a bid to help spread the disease.
“To everyone who was looking forward to coming, I’m so sorry. But I’m doing this for the health of my fans, my staff and my crew,” Degeneres tweeted on Thursday.
On Thursday night, Seth Meyers issued a similar statement on Instagram.
“The safety of our guests and employees is our top priority … Per guidance from New York City officials, we hope to do our part to help to decrease the rate of transmission in our communities,” it announced.
“We will continue filming on our regular schedule, and currently, there will be no impact on air dates.”
“This is unprecedented,” Whoopi Goldberg said, as she sat facing rows of empty seats on Wednesday’s episode of The View.
More than 1,300 cases of the COVID-19 disease have been confirmed across the United States and 38 people have died since it was first detected in China in December.
However President Donald Trump has downplayed the threat, going as far to tell reporters that the risk of an outbreak remains low.
“Mr President, the CDC said yesterday that they believe it’s inevitable that the virus will spread in the United States, and it’s not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’. Do you agree with that assessment?” one reporter asked.
“Well, I don’t think it’s inevitable,” he said.
Then on Monday he tweeted: “Last year 37,000 Americans died from the common flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life and the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that!”
The rhetoric abruptly changed on Wednesday when Mr Trump announced a sweeping ban on all travel from Europe to the United States.
“We are marshalling the full power of the federal government and the private sector to protect the American people,” he said in an Oval Office address.
“To keep new cases from entering our shores we will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days.”