The Young And The Restless Star Richard Burgi Fired Over COVID Rules

The Young and the Restless comings and going reveal an Ashland Locke switch is on the horizon. Richard Burgi will no longer be playing the park and former Guiding Light star, Robert Newman, who played Josh Lewis on the now-defunct CBS soap will step into Burgi’s shoes, but Burgi has finally opened up about why he is no longer with the soap and it all has to do with COVID-19.

AMP in the post

The Young And The Restless Spoilers – Richard Burgi Had COVID

While The Young and the Restless does not have a vaccine mandate, it does have COVID protocols that all actors must follow for health and safety reasons and Burgi inadvertently violated that protocol and explained what happened on his Instagram stories on Tuesday night.

“I was back east over Christmas and tested positive somewhere around Christmas [and was] at my niece’s house and visiting my 97-year-old mom,” Richard Burgi said in his video. “I took the necessary five days [quarantine] that the CDC [Center for Disease Control] recommended.”

Y&R Spoilers – Richard Burgi Made A Mistake, Exits Gracefully

When Burgi returned home he listened to the new CDC guidelines saying if you test negatively five days later, you can resume life, but of course, wear a mask for another five days. He tested negative twice via the show’s testing program and thought it was fine for him to return to work, so he did, but apparently, Y&R is still using their old protocols and not going with their CDC’s recommendations, so his return was “not within the show’s guidelines, which is a 10-day protocol. So, I inadvertently violated the show’s COVID rules and protocols. I feel terrible about it. I still do. It bothers me mightily but it is what it is.”

AMP in the post

Burgi expressed no hard feelings for the soap that has kept him employed over the last year, saying, “I respect the show’s decision,” he adds. “They’re doing the best they can. We all are.”

The actor even wished the best for Robert Newman, a veteran soap actor who hasn’t been seen on daytime screens for more than a decade. “I truly wish the gentleman coming in to play Ashland a wonderful time. He’s going to be working with the most incredible actress [Amelia Heinle, Victoria,] and a great, great cast. It’s an amazing show. I have nothing but good memories.”

Be sure to catch up on everything happening with Y&R right now. Come back here often for Young and the Restless spoilers, news, and updates.

AMP in the post

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  • Guest

    I think YAR is going way to far, you can not just stop life for all the mess coming out of DC.

  • Guest

    And you think this Soap is the only one effected by these actors not getting vaccinated? GH fired 2 main characters because of their refusal . And thanks to the antivaxxers, now there’s a strain that effects everyone ! So thank them don’t go blaming the companies that are only complying with their policies.
    Look at it this way , if you were to break a company policy , wouldn’t you be fired or should the company look the other way because you were an important cog in making the company run while someone else who broke the company policy got fired because they weren’t as important as your position yet you both broke the same company policy . ?

  • Guest

    Get your facts straight this virus is mutating regardless of vaccination status. Both vaccinated and unvaccinated are getting the mutations of covid and passing it on. People are complying with up to 3 and considering a 4th shot but ate still getting sick. Lets be realistic here the vaccine has helped reduce the severity of the virus but it hasn't stopped it and it certainly hasn't prevented transmission. Perhaps if a vaccine was developed that could absolutely prevent getting and transmitting it more people would consider having it. Whats the incentive to develope a single effective vaccine though when the world will without question have multiple $$$ vaccines that are basically inadequate. I am not anti vaccine, I believe people should have the right to choose what is right for themselves or we have taken away democracy.

  • Guest

    Richard Burgi had tested negative and mistakenly thought he was ok to work. Couldn't an innocent mistake with a negative test just be dealt with a warning. This seems to me to be extremely unforgiving and harsh.

  • Guest

    Couldn't Happen To A Better
    Character, And Even With His
    Replacement , Who I Did Like
    On GUIDING LIGHT I Am
    Repulsed By This Character
    So I Won't Watch Him, Although He Was A Great
    Looking Guy On GL & Was
    Great In The Part, ASHLAND
    LOCKE Is A PATHETIC SKANK
    & Doesn't Care Who He HURTS, Just Like VICTOR NEWMAN, So GB For Now
    Y & R.

  • Guest

    Firing the actor seems a bit extreme. They could have given him a warning. Seems like they wanted an excuse. This show doesn't seem very even handed when it comes to its employees. The actors can be fired on a whim but the lazy writers can get away with lazy stories, stories that make no sense because they haven't considered the characters history and they focus too much on certain characters to extreme boredom instead of cleverly using some of the often more talented or fan favorite actors and characters. How long have fans loyally waited to see Tracy do something meaningful and Chloe to mature for example. Fan are loyal to the hardworking actors because the writing has sucked now for a few years.