Two iconic television game shows will be studio audience-free as cases of coronavirus continue to grow across the United States.
The Monday decision to suspend audience taping for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune was made out of an abundance of caution and follows CBS’s suspended production of The Amazing Race, a reality adventure show, last week.
Coronavirus, specifically COVID-19, presents with flu-like symptoms, and although the mortality rate is low, it is more dangerous for the elderly and those with immune system issues. Longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, 79, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year.
Both shows are taped in Los Angeles County, where there have been 19 confirmed cases of the illness and a state of emergency is in place.
Nationwide, there have been more than 760 cases of COVID-19 and 27 deaths. Globally, almost 116,000 have been infected and at least 4,087 people have died. The respiratory illness originated in Wuhan, China, and has since spread to dozens of countries, prompting fears of a worldwide pandemic.
