The View's "hero" nurse demoted after on-air COVID testing fiasco

The Daily Beast

"After two hosts of The View tested positive for COVID-19 while on the air—causing mid-broadcast chaos, generating national headlines, and angering the office of Vice President Kamala Harris, who was waiting backstage—someone had to take the fall," reports The Daily Beast. "That person appears to have been the show’s in-house nurse. Multiple people familiar with the matter told The Daily Beast that, following the on-air fiasco late last month, the daytime talk show ditched its 'health and safety manager' Wendy Livingston, whom the program affectionately referred to as 'Nurse Wendy' and once labeled a 'health-care hero' during an effusive tribute. Prior to the televised meltdown, which featured hosts Ana Navarro and Sunny Hostin being abruptly yanked off-air minutes before a live interview with the vice president, Livingston oversaw The View’s regular testing of all personnel as well as its adherence to coronavirus protocols. But the registered nurse has since stopped performing her medical duties with the show, two people with knowledge of the matter said, though she remains a network employee." An ABC spokesperson says Livingston has not been fired. “She remains a part of the health & safety team supporting testing and vaccine verification," the spokesperson says.