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Just ONE Kennedy Space Center employee testing positive for COVID-19 requires a massive and pricey operation to sanitize every inch of the complex.

According to federal docs, obtained by TMZ ... just under $191k in taxpayer dough is being paid to several companies contracted to sterilize the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

One firm, LL & JP, received a total of $145,367 for cleaning "up to CDC standards for suspected or cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019" at Stennis ... which is NASA's largest rocket engine test facility.

According to the docs, the money came in 2 rounds -- first on March 18 for $80,986 and then again March 27 for $64,381. The second round came after 3 Stennis employees tested positive for the virus earlier this week.

Meanwhile, over at the legendary Kennedy Space Center, a firm called Brevard Achievement Center received $45,258 for janitorial services. The money was earmarked "for unanticipated precautionary coronavirus related tasks."

That's feds-speak for ... we had to scrub down real good after an employee recently tested positive for COVID-19.

Cardi B is recovering after a trip to the ER for severe stomach pains she says she'd been suffering for days.

The rapper revealed Wednesday night that after experiencing "some real bad stomach problems for 4 days" ... she made the decision Tuesday night to go to the ER. Think about it, that's no small decision to make with the coronavirus pandemic raging.

She posted a photo of her hospital bracelet showing her age and date of service as March 31. Cardi said the ER trip had her feeling way better and she hoped to be pain-free soon.

She deleted the tweet shortly after posting, however.

The good news -- Cardi's already back to posting funny stuff on social media ... like a Donald Duck meme just hours ago about going back to sleep instead of waking up and cooking. She captioned it ... "Mood right f***in now."

Of course, Cardi saying she went to the hospital has people wondering if she has COVID-19, but so far ... there's no proof of that.

Get well, Cardi!

Pretty awesome move from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft who sent his team jet on a mission to China to bring back 1.2 million N95 masks!

Kraft reportedly negotiated with several bigwigs around the globe to get the masks -- used by health workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic -- and once the deal was done, he sent the plane to Shenzhen, China to pick 'em up.

Once it touched down Thursday morning, the plane was only allowed to be on the ground for 3 hours while workers in full-body suits loaded up the masks.

The plane was reportedly upgraded to handle the cargo -- and get this, Kraft is said to have initially negotiated for 1.7 million masks, but they could only fit 1.2 million onboard.

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker thanked Kraft and the Pats -- "No days off. Thanks to some serious teamwork, Massachusetts is set to receive over 1 million N95 masks for our front-line workers."

"Huge thanks to the Krafts and several dedicated partners for making this happen."

Both Kraft and Baker are expected to greet the plane when it arrives at Boston Logan National Airport on Thursday.

After it lands, the MA National Guard is set to bring the masks to a central stockpile in Marlborough.

Our sources say Kraft spent several million dollars on the mask mission -- which includes 300,000 masks he will be sending to NYC "out of respect for Andrew Cuomo’s leadership."

We’re told the 300,000 masks will be delivered to the makeshift hospital at the Jacob Javits Center on Friday morning.

”Kraft issued a statement saying, "It is an honor for our family to be a part of this humanitarian mission."

"We knew that purchasing greatly-needed N95 masks and providing the Patriots plane to expedite their delivery to local hospitals would immediately help protect our courageous healthcare professionals."

"Multiple organizations across the public and private sectors, all of which were in lockstep with Governor Charlie Baker's visionary leadership, worked together to execute this mission with the purpose of helping save lives."

"I truly hope that in doing so, we can in some way inspire others to find creative ways to give more in support of our doctors, nurses and first responders. It's nice to care for those who provide such compassionate care for us."

Book worms are turning to a holy trinity to bring them light and guidance in the coronavirus pandemic ... Carrie Underwood, Jessica Simpson and Jesus Christ.

Here's the deal ... book sales are up across the board as more and more Americans are ordered to shelter at home to avoid spreading the virus, and Carrie and Jessica are two of the most popular authors.

Carrie's book, "Find Your Path: Honor Your Body, Find Your Soul," is No. 5 on the Top 50 list of best-selling books from all publishers ... according to NPD BookScan. From March 15-21, the start of the coronavirus outbreak, Carrie's book sold 10,741 copies.

Jessica ain't far behind ... her page-turner, "Open Book," is No. 8 on NPD BookScan's Top 50 list ... with 8,236 copies sold in the same time frame.

But, don't sleep on the Good Book ... as always, the Bible is super popular in times of crisis and uncertainty.

Folks at Tyndale House Publishers and LifeWay Christian Resources tell TMZ ... Bible sales are going strong as people look for ways to explore and deepen their faith in the face of COVID-19.

Tyndale House says Bible sales were up 55% this March compared to 2019, and most purchases are coming online.

Seems Carrie and Jessica are in pretty good company.

These stars are surviving the isolation and social distancing with a little help from man's best friend ... and their furry friends don't seem to mind the extra attention!

Celebs such as Emily Ratajkowski, Finneas O'Connell, Brody Jenner, and Natalie Portman have been cooped up inside like the rest of us, and have been passing the time by hanging out with their four-legged pets.

Take a look at some of the stars that have been sharing their cutest canine moments with their fur babies by scrolling through our gallery of stars self-isolating with their pets.

Dr. Anthony Fauci is getting a beefed-up security detail ... because our nation's top infectious-disease expert is now the target of a growing number of threats.

It's pretty crazy ... Dr. Fauci is facing threats to his personal safety and a wave of unwanted communications from fanatic followers, according to the Washington Post, forcing the feds to step up the good doc's security.

Fauci has fast become the face of the nation's response to the coronavirus pandemic, often appearing on TV and taking the podium at President Trump's daily briefings, where he's unafraid to deliver harsh truths about the spread of the virus and the need for Americans to shelter in place.

But, with added fame comes added criticism ... and he's facing tons of backlash from different pockets and corners of the online community.

While Fauci is suddenly getting more security, the Post says the exact nature of the threats against the doctor remains unclear.

As we reported ... Dr. Fauci's face is now plastered on a super-popular donut at a New York bakery ... and now his admirers are reportedly approaching him with requests to sign baseballs and other strange requests.

Dr. Fauci's security detail includes agents from the U.S. Marshals Service, according to the Post, and it's been in place since Tuesday at least.

While Dr. Fauci and President Trump's messages on the virus have often clashed, Trump says everyone loves the doc.

Ric Flair says he's "more than content" with the COVID-19 safety measures the WWE has implemented for WrestleMania 36 -- and trusts Vince McMahon to look out for his daughter's health.

Of course, Mania is set to go down (without fans) this weekend in a virtually empty WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida ... due to the coronavirus pandemic.

And, while at least one WWE superstar has pulled out over health concerns, Ric tells TMZ Sports the wrestling org. is doing everything they can to protect the 'Mania performers, which includes his own superstar daughter, Charlotte Flair.

"I'm more than content that they have put enough safety measure in place." Flair says.

"Keep in mind, they also gave everybody an opportunity to not be part of it. So, anybody that was there, nobody had their arm twisted. It was strictly a voluntary basis."

Flair says the wrestlers are STOKED for WM36 -- explaining, "They worked their whole year, actually some of them work their whole career to be in a high level match in Wrestle Mania."

"Obviously there's gonna be some changes but it's gonna be a great show."

Plus, Nature Boy says he's sick of listening to all of the NFL offseason news dominating the sports media recently ... he's ready for some action already!

"Hey listen, I'm tired of hearing about Tom Brady and that Buccaneers. I'm tired of hearing about Tua, ok?! Let's talking about something that's really taking place!"

Adam Schlesinger -- co-founder of the "Stacy's Mom" band Fountains of Wayne -- is fighting for his life as he battles COVID-19.

Adam's girlfriend tells TMZ ... he's been hospitalized in upstate NY and is currently on a ventilator. She says Adam "has been sedated to facilitate his recovery. He is in critical condition, but his condition is improving slightly and we are cautiously optimistic."

A fan page for the 52-year-old singer's current band, Ivy, claims Adam's been on a ventilator for 2 weeks and is in a medically induced coma. Adam's longtime lawyer, Josh Grier, refuted that ... telling Variety "no one has used the word 'coma' to me."

Adam's GF didn't say it either when we spoke to her.

Adam co-wrote "Stacy's Mom" with Fountains of Wayne lead singer Chris Collingwood. The band dropped the track in 2003 and it peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 -- but the music video, starring Rachel Hunter, etched the song in pop culture.

Florida residents are gunning for all the ammo they can get their hands on with just hours to go before the state's stay-at-home order goes into effect.

We got this pic of the handgun ammo aisle at Academy Sports + Outdoors in West Melbourne, FL. As you can see, anyone looking to load their 9mm, .38 or .45 caliber weapon is S.O.L. -- however, we're told the store still had shotgun shells.

Mind you, this was just one hour after Gov. Ron DeSantis issued the stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The mandate goes into effect at midnight Thursday.

Floridians have been arming up all week -- we're told ammo supplies have been low for days, and as soon as stores restock, they're selling out. According to reports ... more than 10,000 Floridians filed paperwork to get a background check, and gun stores have had long lines.

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez just beat the buzzer ... squeezing in one final gym workout before Florida goes on lockdown, and using their pull to make it happen.

The engaged duo slipped out of a gym Wednesday afternoon in Miami after getting what we imagine to be some very exclusive access. Florida had already ordered most gyms closed -- in fact, the door to this gym even said it was closed.

There was an exception for gyms with a capacity of 10 or less -- so, J Lo and A-Rod likely had a private training session -- but even that has to end Thursday.

Governor Ron DeSantis announced a statewide shelter in place order just a few hours after Alex and Jen wrapped up at the gym. It goes into effect Thursday at midnight.

They did play it safe on the way out ... with their security guards wearing masks and wiping down door handles and other surfaces they might touch.

The Florida pastor who got hauled in by cops for hosting a megachurch service despite quarantine and stay-at-home orders is doubling down ... insisting he did NOTHING wrong.

The Tampa-area minister is Rodney Howard-Browne, and he took to his own podcast/telecast shortly after being released Monday night to explain why he did what he did -- namely, put hundreds of people's lives at risk by hosting the service.

RHB has a lot to say, but the gist is that he was simply exercising his First Amendment right -- i.e., freedom of religion and separation of church and state. His logic is bizarre. Watch.

There's more though ... Rodney goes IN on the media, sounding very Trump-like by suggesting a lot of outlets are hyping the threat of coronavirus and fear-mongering to get everyone scared and panicked. BTW ... more than 800 people in the U.S. died Tuesday.

One interesting note ... it sounds like Rodney here thinks the charges he was brought in on -- which he incorrectly calls First Amendment violations -- will be resolved shortly.

He says he's willing to do interviews, but only once his lawyers and theirs (the county/state's) have a chat and put this matter to bed. He also talks TMZ a bit. 👀

One last thing ... the guy shows ZERO remorse for his actions, insisting he had no choice. Wrong again, Rod -- but go ahead and tell us why you think that is. We're listening ...

The no-refunds rage continues -- this time it's folks on the frontlines helping us fight coronavirus who are getting screwed, and it's all because a cruise line won't budge.

TMZ has learned ... Royal Caribbean Cruises is NOT refunding a bunch of nurses who were supposed to board one of its behemoth boats this year for a networking convention called NURSECON at Sea, which was canceled as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

It sucks, 'cause it's left a lot of cash-strapped RNs pissed off and wanting their money back. They're getting a rain check for another event down the line, but that's not cutting it with some of the heroes who want their money back, and STAT.

According to a letter NURSECON brass sent to ticket holders for the conference, it's spelled out pretty clearly ... anybody who was going to NURSECON 2020 (which was at first postponed, later canceled) will get to join any NURSECON voyage in the future through 2023. They'll also get cruise ship spending credit -- up to $100 worth.

And, if nurses who were going ended up shelling out cash for extra vacay packages -- excursions, drink and meal plans, etc. -- Royal Caribbean WILL refund them for that -- but not for the big-ticket item ... the cost of the cruise.

That's about it ... no mention of a refund in full for the trip itself this year. It wasn't NURSECON's decision, however, as sources familiar with the negotiations between that company and Royal Caribbean tell us, it's actually RC Cruises honchos who wouldn't give the cash back. So, if there's someone to be mad at, it's the cruise line.

For the record, a rep for NURSECON doesn't see any blame to go around for anybody involved, insisting the rescheduled cruises and cruise credit was the best option for all parties, insisting that most of their patrons (the nurses) are actually pleased with the deal.

That's not how some of the nurses we spoke with directly felt. We're told the no-refund policy is a slap in the face -- and a promise for a future sail isn't making up for it either.