Health/Safety issues

 Traveling to and from pageant venues

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

Miss Eco International first runner-up Kelley Day is back in Manila after competing in Sharm el-Sheikh. In an Instagram post, she told friends and followers that she is now in quarantine in her hotel for the next seven days. Kelley took the first available flight home after testing negative to a routine swab test in Egypt.

The first available flight back to Manila is what Miss Grand International 2020 Samantha Bernardo also booked when it opened. Her flight schedule is for May 12. In the meantime, Sam was tapped to be the special mentor and trainer to Miss Grand Phrae 2021 and Miss Grand Nam 2021 for the forthcoming Miss Grand Thailand 2021. The next Miss Grand International pageant will unfold towards the end of the year.

In the Miss Universe 2020 competition, a few more candidates trickled in on the arrivals list. Aside from Miss Universe Indonesia 2020 RR Ayu Maulida and Miss Universe Thailand 2020 Amanda Obdam who arrived yesterday, Cambodia's Sarita Reth arrived in the US a few days before. Miss Universe Laos 2020 Christina Lasasimma is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. In, toto there are now eleven candidates in mainland USA including the Philippines, El Salvador, Colombia, Iceland, Curacao, Canada, Aruba, and USA's Asya Branch.

On the Up Close and Personal introduction video of the candidates, Miss Universe 2020 Rabiya Mateo leads the fan votes with, so far, 616,000 likers and counting. She is followed by Thailand's Amanda Obdam with 577,000, Indonesia's RR Ayu Maulida with 87,000, Vietnam's Nguyen Khanh Van Tran with 79,000, Cambodia's Sarita Reth with 72,000, and India's Adline Castelino with 54,000.

After testing positive to Covid--19 and undergoing the 14-day required quarantine protocol, Miss Universe India 2020 Adline Castelino has tested negative after her self-confinement. It looks like Miss Universe Argentina 2020 Alina Luz Akselrad, who also tested popositive around the same time as Adline, also come out of her quarantine testing negative. She posted departure photos on her social media account.

In an Instagram post, Adline wrote, "Reporting from home - Yes! I tested negative for Covid. Feels so great. Thank you for all your wishes and prayers. Please stay at home and wear your mask properly if you have no (other) option but to step out. These two weeks were very challenging, mentally and emotionally for me, being positive, and looking at the bright side really helps. Reach out to people around you, especially elders. If you can help, and if you have just recovered, and eligible to donate plasma, kindly do it!"

In a televised news interview, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Romualdez said that "The US has now barred entry of Indian and Brazilian citizens to the US." And in a related news story, BBC reported that India is experiencing the worst second wave of the pandemic, with 1 in every 4 cases dying in the capital city of New Delhi.

It is unclear right now how this news bulletin could affect the participation of  the candidate from Brazil, Julia Gamma, to the 69th Miss Universe competition on May 16 in Florida. A few posts online has shown Adline in an airport in India, headed for the US.