MANILA, Philippines — After the final show of the 70th Miss World edition last December 16 in San Juan, Puerto Rico was cancelled, a total of 23 contestants, from 17 the day prior, tested positive for COVID-19 on the day of the pageant; including Miss World India 2021 Manasa Varanasi, who immediately went into isolation. The Indian beauty queen is the roommate of Miss World Indonesia 2021 Carla Yules, who was the first case, among the contestants, confirmed to have tested positive for COVID-19.
Fifteen staff members, that reportedly included reigning queen Toni-Ann Singh and Madame (Miss World Organization Chief Executive) Julia Morley herself, were also under quarantine. All of the people involved in the pageant are all vaccinated and everyone's been tested every day during the duration of the contest.
Miss India thanked her co-candidates, Emelie Boland (Luxembourg), Namrata Shrestha (Nepal), and Mirna Bzdigian (Armenia), who have all tested negative, as her "food delivery squad." Thankfully, our very own representative, Tracy Maureen Perez, has also tested negative.
Candidates who have tested negative were given leave to head back to their respective home countries. Miss World Philippines 2021 Tracy Maureen Perez has flown back to Manila to wait out for the final show. Her initial plan to wait out in New York City did not push through. This was confirmed by her national director, Arnold L. Vegafria. But had the final show been rescheduled on a much earlier date, she might have stayed, meantime, in the Big Apple to wait out for the final show.
The Miss World 2021 coronation night ceremonies will still take place at the Puerto Rico Coliseum Jose Agrelot within the next 90 days - specifically, on March 16, 2022. Stay tuned!
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