Miss France Tests Positive for COVID-19 upon Arrival in Israel

Miss France Clémence Botino tested positive for COVID upon arriving in Israel to take part in the Miss Universe pageant, Israeli outlets reported on Monday.

Botino arrived in Israel before the government put new covid restrictions in place due to the Omicron variant. As per regulations, she was tested and found positive.

Sources said she was transported to self-isolation by ambulance and was expected to miss the pageant, which is scheduled to be held on Dec. 12.

Meantime, organizers of the Miss Universe pageant are exerting great efforts to ensure that the event goes ahead as planned and in compliance with COVID regulations.

Botino is a French model who was crowned Miss France 2020. Besides fashion, she is interested in music as she became a pianist then dancer, especially in salsa.

She obtained a scientific baccalauréat with the mention "very good" in 2014. At the age of 17, she lived for a year in the United States and studied costume in an international school located in Miami, to perfect her English.

On 3 August 2019, she was elected Miss Guadeloupe, succeeding Ophély Mézino. On 14 December 2019, she was crowned Miss France 2020 with 31.95% of the public vote, narrowly winning ahead of Lou Ruat (Miss Provence) with 30.66%.

She succeeds Vaimalama Chaves, Miss France 2019, and becomes the third Miss Guadeloupe elected Miss France after Véronique de la Cruz in 1993 and Corinne Coman in 2003.