Reunited and it feels so good! Well, sort of. The Today show’s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker and Craig Melvin all appeared on one screen for the first time this week — only, they weren’t actually together. Due to coronavirus concerns, Guthrie, Roker and Melvin are all at home practicing self-isolation while Kotb holds it down in Studio 1A. But this morning, the foursome got to touch base thanks to split-screen technology.
On Monday, Guthrie and Kotb broke the news to fans that Roker and Melvin would not be present during their typical 3rd Hour Today segment. After a fellow staffer tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the network sent both home out of an “abundance of caution.” Then, when Guthrie came down with a sore throat, she took off as well. However, she was able to co-anchor Wednesday’s show from a makeshift studio in her home basement, and she and Kotb even connected with Roker via camera.
But Thursday’s show was the first glimpse fans were able to get this week of Melvin — and, more pointedly, of all four together again. And happily, they all seem well. Said Guthrie, “I’m feeling about the same, but just happy to be close to my family. We’re the lucky ones. I think everyone’s just feeling anxious about the state of the world and hoping that people are really listening to these please to keep our distance and stay home and only go out if it’s absolutely essential.”
It's so good to see Hoda, Savannah, Al and Craig on one screen! We check-in with everyone who is socially distancing themselves at home in an abundance of caution. pic.twitter.com/c7IzK6jRYV
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 19, 2020
Melvin echoed that he currently feels “great” and that his family is fine, too. “Still no signs or symptoms. Just like a lot of folks out there, still watching and listening,” he said. “Just a bit of cabin fever, shall we say. But feeling good!”
Roker clearly feels pretty good, because he went for a three-mile walk in Central Park yesterday. Don’t worry; he was careful to follow social distancing safety guidelines. Understandably, though, the news anchors all miss each other’s actual-in-person company.
Even so, they realize just how fortunate they are to be in the position they are. “The idea that we can do our broadcast — kind of work from home — is really terrific. The technology and our NBC technical staff has been able to cobble this stuff together,” Roker said, with Guthrie underscoring, “We know how blessed and lucky we are to be working from home and have an employer who’s taking care of us.”
At this point, it’s unclear when Guthrie, Roker and Melvin will be able to return to work at the studio. But something tells us this won’t be the last split-screen broadcast we see from Today during these unprecedented times.
Before you go, check out ways to keep kids busy during your coronavirus quarantine.
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