Fox News host Juan Williams has tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently in quarantine, The Daily Beast has confirmed. Williams had filmed alongside his co-hosts on The Five as recently as Wednesday.
The New York Times was the first to report on the liberal Fox News star's diagnosis.
“I’m not great but I’m not dying or anything. I’m worried about myself and my family. My wife doesn’t want me to come back to the house right now. On lots of levels it’s concerning,” Williams told The Daily Beast on Thursday evening.
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A Fox News spokesperson declined to comment on Williams' diagnosis, citing employee privacy and confidentiality of health records, but did provide a network statement to The Daily Beast.
“Since the start of the pandemic, FOX News Media has implemented strict company-wide protocols adhering to all CDC and state guidelines, including regular testing of all in studio on-air personalities, mask mandates and daily health assessments for all employees entering the building,” the statement read. “We will continue to take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our staff, including broadcasting The Five via home studios for the foreseeable future.”
Williams was at Wednesday's live broadcast of Fox News' hit opinion panel show The Five and appeared on set alongside four other co-hosts, including regular panelists Jesse Watters and Greg Gutfeld. The show had returned to studio in September after taping remotely since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s one of those things that they have wanted that show back together and some anchors are working from home but they wanted us back,” Williams said during his Thursday interview with The Daily Beast.
A person familiar with the matter told The Daily Beast that Williams left for vacation after the Nov. 18th show and did not come back into the Fox building until Nov. 30th.
The show, meanwhile, was back to filming remotely on Thursday and will continue to do so for the immediate future.
Williams told The Daily Beast that he found out about his diagnosis on Thursday and is currently quarantining in a Washington, D.C. hotel.
“I’m just worried about my health and my family at this juncture,” he noted. “You have to guard against vagrant dark thoughts. The thing is what can do for you until things get bad?”
