After Live with Kelly and Ryan returned to the studio last month, audiences were curious as to why Ryan Seacrest was absent from the host’s chair the past couple of days. As it turns out, the show had required him to take a COVID-19 test after he exhibited “a minimal cough.”

People reports that the 45-year-old had to stay at home and wait for test results. This was revealed on the show’s official Instagram account showing Seacrest’s co-host, 50-year-old Kelly Ripa, performing hosting duties alone.

The magazine quotes a source who says that the show wanted to take extra precautions when Seacrest exhibited “a minimal cough.” The production required him to stay at home and get a negative result on a test before he would be allowed to return. Seacrest will be back on the show on the next episode as his COVID-19 test has returned negative.

In the video posted on the show’s Instagram account, Ripa emphasized that this was part of the new restrictions they had in place. The host also said that they take public health very seriously.

The Daily Mail says Seacrest’s two-day absence comes after Ripa voiced her desire to take a job behind the camera, especially since she has been a host of the show for two decades now.

Ripa expressed her interest in writing and being more involved in the creative process behind the camera. She also shared that she would have probably already retired if it were not for the fun she was having hosting with Seacrest.

Ripa and Seacrest’s return to the studio came after close to five months of filming the show from their respective homes. Because of the lockdowns brought about by the global coronavirus pandemic, the pair have had to broadcast remotely since March.

Both Ripa and Seacrest have admitted to liking some parts of their home broadcasts. Seacrest said he loved the interactions he and Ripa had, while Ripa joked that she had gotten used to the more casual attire of their home broadcasts and would not return to the studio if it meant dressing up.

Other talk shows that have returned to the studio aside from Live with Kelly and Ryan include The Wendy Williams Show and Today.

The precautions that the show has taken are certainly understandable considering that the United States is still in the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic. The Oct. 20 update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States at 8,188,585. Deaths caused by COVID-19 in the United States are now at 219,499 people.