"The View" has returned to broadcasting remotely amid the surge of COVID-19 cases, and after Whoopi Goldberg tested positive for the virus.
The show's co-host, Joy Behar, revealed the news during Monday's episode, explaining that the hosts will be "back in boxes" while Goldberg recovers from "mild symptoms" after being vaccinated and receiving the booster shot.
"They say there's no place like home for the holidays, and that's exactly where we are this year," Behar said, according to People. "Happy New Year from all of our living rooms. As you can see, we're back in boxes and doing the show remotely — hopefully for just a week. I'm praying that it's just a week, but you never know because this omicron thing is all over the place."
Behar, who along with the rest of the panel, including Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, and guest host Ana Navarro, were filming the talk show remotely from their own homes, then addressed why she was on the screen instead of Goldberg.
"Why am I here instead of Whoopi? Well, Whoopi, unfortunately, tested positive over the break, but she'll be back probably next week," she said. "Since she's vaxxed and boosted, her symptoms have been very, very, mild. But we're being super cautious here at The View."
During the talk show, Hostin also revealed that she and her mother had both tested positive for COVID-19 over the holiday period but have since recovered.
"I FaceTimed with my family for Christmas and New Year's and it was extremely difficult. My mom also tested positive for COVID. We're all negative now and thank god Manny and the kids and my dad were negative and remain negative," she said.
"I'm so thankful that I was vaccinated and boosted because I only had cold-like symptoms, but I didn't feel great, honestly, and it just goes to show you that the vaccine and the boosters do work, and it makes sure that you're not hospitalized for something like this, and it makes sure that you don't die from something like this," Hostin added.
Last year "The View" came under scrutiny after Hostin and Navarro tested positive for COVID-19 minutes before Vice President Kamala Harris was set to conduct an in-studio interview.
Behar was introducing Harris when Hostin and Navarro, who had both been vaccinated, were abruptly asked to leave the set of "The View," according to NBC News.
The show then cut to a commercial break and when it returned, Behar revealed that her two co-hosts had tested positive for the coronavirus. The show continued to broadcast in the studio. It was only recently that they began broadcasting remotely, following the omicron surge.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.