COVID Knocks Cincy Anchors Off the Air

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WLWT Anchor Mike Dardis covered the presidential debate in Cleveland and he brought back a little something from his trip.

When Dardis returned from The Land, he had a weak voice and got tested for COVID and the results came back positive.

That means Dardis and his co-anchor/wife Sheree Paolello will be off the air as they quarantine themselves.

"I am not sure when I actually contracted COVID-19. My voice was slightly impacted last Tuesday night," Dardis told me late Monday. While covering the debate, Dardis said he "did not get anywhere near the President or any of his team members," some of whom have tested positive since then.

"I did work Wednesday and Thursday before getting my test results. But again, I am never close to anyone and I always wear a mask at the station. Our company has us practicing very safe protocols," he said.

"As far as symptoms, the first day or two (I had a) very low-grade fever and a slightly achy body. Symptoms were gone by Saturday afternoon," he says. 

WLWT-TV executives did not respond to my inquiries about whether any Channel 5 employees could have been exposed to the virus by Dardis, or how many staffers were getting tested?

I’m sorry, but if someone feels the need to take a COVID test, should they be coming to work while they are waiting on the results?

I wouldn’t think so, but that is exactly what seemed to have happened here.

H/T WVXU