The winner of the Dutch beauty pageant has given up her participation in 'Miss World', the world's top three beauty pageants, saying that she does not want to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
According to the New York Post on the 7th local time, Delai Willemstein (21), who was selected as 'Miss Netherlands' this year, announced on Instagram on the 5th that "I will not represent the Netherlands on the Miss World stage."
Valemstein explained that the reason was "in part because of the vaccine mandate," and "personally, I'm not ready yet."
To compete in Miss World to be held in Puerto Rico in December, you need to get vaccinated.
Willemstein claimed that all participants were informed of the vaccination requirements as a condition of their participation in the competition.
Puerto Rico requires unvaccinated individuals to submit the results of a COVID-19 diagnostic test performed within 72 hours of arriving on an international flight.
He said in a press interview that he only found out about this after being selected to represent the Netherlands.
"I thought about getting vaccinated carefully, but at some point I realized I wasn't ready at all," Willemstein said.
In response, Miss World Netherlands CEO Katya Mas said, "We did not check whether the participants were vaccinated because it is their personal medical information."
As Willemstein has withdrawn from Miss World, his place has been replaced by Lizge Dover, 2nd place in the Miss Netherlands pageant.
Dover said of Willemstein's refusal to vaccinate: "People have to make their own choices and we have to acknowledge each other."
Meanwhile, Miss World, which celebrated its 70th anniversary this year since it started in 1951, is scheduled to be held in Puerto Rico in December as one of the world's top three beauty pageants.
(Photo = Delai Willemstein Instagram capture, Yonhap News)