Miss World 2021 has been postponed after 17 contestants including India's Manasa Varanasi tested Covid positive. Within the next 90 days, the organisers promise to restart the show.
After several contestants tested positive for Covid, the Miss World 2021 finale has been postponed indefinitely. The announcement came just hours before the event was set to begin on Thursday. The contestants are currently being held in isolation in Puerto Rico, where the finale was supposed to be held.
"Keeping in mind the rising Covid cases amongst the contestants, the Miss World Organisation has taken the decision to postpone the Miss World finale," an official statement was released to the press.
After 17 contestants and staff members tested positive for Covid-19, the decision of the postponement was made. Manasa Varanasi, who was crowned Miss India World 2020 and will represent India at the international beauty pageant, is one of those infected.
"We were in great disbelief that she (Manasa Varanasi) might not be able to grace the world stage in spite of her immense hard work and dedication, however, her safety is of utmost importance to us. We can't wait to welcome Manasa back home, nurture her back to health and send her back stronger, healthier and happier (sic)," Miss India Organisation stated on their official Instagram page.
The finale will be rescheduled in the next 90 days at the Puerto Rico Coliseum Jose Miguel Agrelot.
After meeting with virologists and medical experts hired to oversee the event, the decision to postpone the pageant was made, according to the Miss World Organization.
"After additional positive cases were confirmed this morning after consulting with health officials and experts, the postponement decision was made," the organisation stated in a release.
The contestants will be allowed to return to their homes only after they are cleared by the health officials.
The official statement reads, "The next step according to the medical experts is immediate quarantine, pending observation, and further testing according to best practices in situations like this. Once and only when contestants and staff are cleared by health officials and advisors, will contestants and related staff return to their home countries."