Many activities and events that
managed to go on as scheduled in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic were forced to
undergo some significant changes, to ensure the safety of participants, staff
and audience from getting infected. For some beauty pageants for instance, live
audiences were dropped, and a number of component events might have been done
virtually to keep people socially distanced as much as possible. But some
events would try to have the contestants together, and the recent Miss Eco
International pageant held in Egypt was once such instance. But mere days after
the pageant night, it was revealed that some of the beauty queen participants
were tested COVID-positive.
The Philippine Star reports that several candidates of the Miss Eco
International pageant (2020 edition, held only this past April 8, 2021) found
themselves unable to fly back to their home countries after mandatory swab
testing revealed that they have contracted COVID-19. The Egypt-based MEI
Organization gave a statement on its official social media channels saying that
the safety of the participants will be ensured, and that online accusations regarding
the pageant’s neglect were exaggerated.
We are trying our best to
coordinate with everyone including the ladies who are still here in Egypt,”
notes the Miss Eco International Organization. “And we have fulfilled our
duties as promised. And we're taking good care of all our infected queens."
According to a post on a pageant website from Thailand, among the
COVID-positive MEI contestants are Miss Philippines and First Runner-Up Kelley
Day, alongside Miss Ecos Argentina, Canada, Malaysia, Montenegro, Peru, Reunion
Island and Thailand. Already the national pageant directors of Thailand and
Peru have lambasted the MEI Organization and declared that they will no longer
send representatives.
As for Day, her condition is
being followed up on by Arnold Vegafria, national director of Miss World
Philippines which draws the Philippine representative for Miss Eco International
from its winners. Vegafria says in his own statement that the MWP is
coordinating with MEI regarding the safety of the COVID-positive contestants adding,
“Our official candidate, Ms. Kelley Day, remains our topmost priority and we
remain optimistic as we await the results of the organization's medical testing
procedures."
Day, who tested positive on the
swab test, is now awaiting the results of an RT-PCR exam for a more definitive
word on her COVID status. Even if she is cleared however, Day cannot fly to
Manila from Egypt due to it being on lockdown due to the NCR Plus bubble, even
if the level is now MECQ. The MWP has yet to respond to calls by pageant fans
that the Philippines follow Peru and Thailand in withdrawing participation in
Miss Eco International.
Miss Eco South Africa Gizzelle Uys
was crowned Miss Eco International followed by Runners-up, in order: Kelley Day,
Miss Eco USA Alexandra Kelly, Miss Eco Costa Rica Kristell Ruiz, and Miss Eco
Venezuela Steffania Rodriguez.
Image courtesy of Inquirer.net
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