Whoopi Goldberg has tested positive for COVID-19, as the omicron strain of the virus continues to spread swiftly across the country.

Goldberg, 66, had minimal symptoms after being vaccinated and having the booster shot, according to ‘The View’ co-host Joy Behar, who disclosed the news at the top of Monday’s broadcast.

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Behar and the rest of the panel, which included Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, and guest host Ana Navarro, were recording the talk show from their homes, a setup that Behar thought would only be temporary.

“They say there’s no place like home for the holidays and that’s exactly where we are this year,” she said. “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.” 

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Behar, 79, continued, “Why am I here instead of Whoopi? Well, Whoopi, unfortunately, tested positive over the break but she’ll be back probably next week. Since she’s vaxxed and boosted, her symptoms have been very, very, mild. But we’re being super cautious here at The View.” 

Hostin, 53, went on to say that she and her mother had both tested positive for COVID over the holidays, but that they had now recovered. Hostin claimed that being isolated for Christmas was especially difficult for her family because her husband Manny’s parents died of COVID-19 three days apart on Dec. 28, 2020, and Jan. 1, 2021.

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“I FaceTimed with my family for Christmas and New Year’s and it was extremely difficult,” she said. “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.” 

The positive diagnoses of Goldberg and Hostin came during a nationwide outbreak of COVID-19 cases, owing in part to the highly contagious omicron form. According to the COVID data tracker maintained by the New York Times, over 585,000 new instances of the virus were reported in the United States on December 30.

Recent research suggests, however, that the new version may be milder and less lethal than earlier ones, particularly given the availability of immunizations and booster shots.