STAGE TUBE: Broadway Legend Chita Rivera Weighs in on Zika in Puerto Rico

The incomparable Broadway legend and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Chita Rivera, has put her support behind the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) and its effort to allay travelers' fears about the Zika virus in Puerto Rico and provide factual information to help travelers make informed travel decisions.

In collaboration with the PRTC, Rivera, who takes great pride in her Puerto Rican heritage, recorded a heartwarming video recalling her experiences in Puerto Rico, highlighting some of the things she loves about the island and encouraging travelers to set aside all unnecessary fear and visit the jewel of the Caribbean. Click below to watch the video!

"I chose and choose Puerto Rico to visit and live," Rivera said, "because of its beauty, music, rainforest, food, casinos, first class resorts, restaurants, and of course, it's warm and welcoming people...and it's only three hours away from New York!"

Regarding the Zika virus, she suggests, "You can take the proper precautions: apply insect repellent carefully, keep screen doors and windows closed, and keep the air conditioning on. As long as you're not pregnant, or trying to conceive, you have nothing to fear from the Zika virus."

PRTC Executive Director, Ingrid I. Rivera Rocafort, praised Rivera's involvement and echoed her sentiments about informed, worry-free travel to the island: "Throughout her amazing career, Ms. Rivera has shared her love of Puerto Rico often, and it is an honor to have her lend her voice in support of the PRTC's educational efforts today. While we are doing everything in our power to protect visitors and ensure they are able to have a worry-free experience on the island, it is important to reinforce the CDC's message that travelers who are pregnant or planning a child should avoid areas with active Zika transmission, but with a few simple precautions, all others can have a worry-free experience in beautiful Puerto Rico."

PRTC has been working with the Puerto Rico Hotel & Tourism Association and other industry partners for the implementation of an aggressive educational and preventive campaign to ensure that hotels and tourist attractions are actively spraying to control mosquito populations, maintaining strict, preventive grounds-keeping practices, and training employees to recognize and deal with potential mosquito breeding grounds on their respective properties.

To find out more about what the PRTC and its partners are doing to fight Zika in Puerto Rico, visit puertoriconow.seepuertorico.com.

An accomplished and versatile actress/singer/dancer, Chita Rivera has won two Tony Awards and received eight additional Tony nominations for an exceptional 10 Tony nominations. She was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama in 2009, and received the coveted Kennedy Center Honor in 2002 and was the first Hispanic woman ever chosen to receive this award. Her starring roles on Broadway include West Side Story, Guys and Dolls, Seventh Heaven, Mr. Wonderful, Bye Bye Birdie, The Rink, Chicago, Jerry's Girls, Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Dancer's Life, The Visit and many more. Last year Great Performances aired their special Chita Rivera: A Lot of Livin' To Do, a retrospective on her extraordinary life and career on PBS. Chita's current solo CD is entitled And Now I Swing.