How's this for a touching moment?
On NBC's Today show on Friday, May 14, co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb sat close to each other and held hands on the air for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began 15 months ago. The morning boost comes a day after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) loosened restrictions on mask-wearing and social distancing.
"How long have we been waiting for this moment?" Savannah asked, reaching out to her co-star, who then held her hand and said, "OK, we're doing it! We are doing it."
Hoda also joked, "Your breath smells minty fresh." Savannah replied, "Well, I started using breath mints again, and put lipstick on, because we don't need the mask anymore!"
On Thursday, May 13, the CDC announced that people who are fully vaccinated "can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance." The new guidelines aim to encourage all U.S. residents to get vaccinated and come amid a large reduction in positive COVID-19 cases nationwide.
For over a year, while maskless, stars and guests of major news, entertainment and sports talk shows have kept six feet apart from one another, following the CDC's previous social distancing rules. Studios have also mandated regular COVID-19 testing for anyone working on film or television sets.
Savannah and Hoda are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, with the former receiving her first Pfizer-BioNTech jab live on the Today show along with several of their co-stars in early April.
And off the air on Friday, the two co-anchors also felt more comfortable to take it a step further than holding hands. Later that day, Hoda posted on her Instagram page a video of Savannah sitting on her lap. "Are we a little too excited?" the latter star asked. "Two vaccinated people! Does the CDC say anything about me sitting on your lap?"
Savannah continued, "Well, by the way, I hope you've been doing your squats, because that's not a light load for you."
She later wrote on her own page, "We are a *tad* excited to be close again."
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