What a difference a few days makes.
With the White House now advising Americans to avoid bars, restaurants, or any gathering of more than 10 in order to stem the spread of coronavirus, Fox & Friends began its Tuesday broadcast by demonstrating social distancing as the three hosts were seated in different parts of the room.
“To be responsible, to show social distancing, all three of us are apart—same studio, plenty of distance,” co-host Brian Kilmeade noted at the top of the show.
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Co-host Steve Doocy, meanwhile, added that they were “doing exactly the same thing people all across America are trying to do, and that is stay away from each other because you don't want to get infected and you don't want to spread infection."
Ainsley Earhardt, who was replaced on Monday’s broadcast by Dr. Nicole Saphier, returned and reminded viewers they must take the pandemic very seriously.
“We have a responsibility to slow down this virus and to think of other people during this time,” Earhardt declared. “And so if you can keep your distance and prevent someone from getting close to you that might be sick, you can save your family, you can save the elderly and help our country as a nation.”
Earhardt’s sober plea for being cautious and to think of others came just days after she encouraged viewers to book a flight in the middle of a pandemic.
“It’s actually the safest time to fly,” the Fox & Friends co-host said on Friday, adding at the time, “Everyone that I know that’s flying right now, terminals are pretty much dead. Ghost towns.”
Earhardt now treating the viral outbreak with a newfound level of seriousness came after Jesse Watters admitted on Monday that he didn’t take coronavirus “seriously” until after the weekend.
Watters and others at the network, meanwhile, have dramatically shifted their tone towards the pandemic now that President Donald Trump has suddenly begun to take the virus more seriously himself.
