'Today' anchor says she won't cover the Rio Olympics because of health concerns
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Because of that, she also said that she would not be attending the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro due to the Zika virus that's present in Brazil.
"I'm not going to be able to go to Rio, so you'll have to go to beach volleyball without me," she told her "Today" colleagues.
The mosquito-borne virus has been the cause of several birth defects in Brazil, leading to numerous US female athletes questioning if they will take part in the Summer Games in Rio.
But Guthrie is the first high-profile TV personality to opt out of the games.
NBCUniversal, which will air the Olympics on its networks, has made it clear to their employees that they are not required to go to Rio, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The same policy was in place for the 2014 Winter Olympics, held in Sochi, Russia, where terrorism concerns had employees on edge.
The "Today" show typically airs from the Olympic Games. "Today" hosts Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira will lead the coverage of the opening ceremonies August 5 on NBC.
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