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We've all heard that a Chinese bat got the coronavirus ball rolling, but that doesn't mean our domestic bats are a problem -- and if anything, we're a bigger threat to them.

U.S. federal wildlife workers have been talking amongst themselves about a so-called bat fear that's spreading due to the pandemic -- and they're saying it's misguided. They're also warning bat catchers to lay off for a while.

TMZ obtained an email sent by Dr. Michelle Verant -- a wildlife veterinarian with the National Parks Service -- to her colleagues, warning them humans could potentially infect bat colonies here at home with a strain of COVID-19.

The email reads in part, "The actual outcomes of this scenario are unknown, but the concern is that it could result in sustained transmission of the virus among wild bat populations in North America, which could have consequences for the health of bats as well as humans." It goes on to instruct her colleagues who might be partaking in any bat-catching studies right now to refrain, or at the very least ... take great precautions.

Dr. Verant confirmed she sent the email and expanded by telling us there needs to be a clear distinction between the horseshoe bat (the species blamed for transmitting the virus in Wuhan) and North American bats. She says they're much different and there's NO evidence the virus lives in the American species.

To sum up Verant's concerns: Bats here are virus-free right now, but if they catch it from humans -- then there might be potential for them to pass it back to livestock or humans. Talk about vicious cycles!

Officials in New York City are making sure the famous public basketball courts are not a hub for the coronavirus ... they've shut down ALL public courts and have begun removing rims.

"New York City is a proud basketball town and we would never remove hoops unless absolutely necessary," a rep for NYC Dept. of Parks and Recreation tells TMZ Sports.

"In an effort to protect the health of City residents, all basketball courts are currently closed."

We're told the move to shut down ALL public courts was made on April 6 and will last until officials believe the danger is gone.

So far, we're told 51% of rims citywide have been removed from parks to ensure groups will NOT gather at those locations, where the virus could be spread.

FYI, there are HUNDREDS of public outdoor courts across the city, according to the Parks and Rec website.

The rims were even removed from NYC's famous Rucker Park on March 25 -- and we're told it was because people were not following the rules of social distancing.

Rucker might be the most legendary streetball court in the world -- where superstars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and more have balled out for decades.

Joel Osteen's got famous friends in various places, but they all have a shared goal -- making his Easter Sunday service an inspirational, and virtual, one for the ages.

The Lakewood Church pastor told us how he happened to get Mariah Carey, Kanye West and Tyler Perry on board for this coming Sunday. We know Joel's partnered with Kanye before, but he told us he's also old pals with Mariah.

He says MC actually reached out to him about doing a special tribute to healthcare workers and first responders. Watch the clip, he revealed what she's got planned.

Osteen admitted he has less info on what Kanye's going to do with his famed Sunday Service choir ... except he's been told they will be socially distancing. No small feat for that choir.

As for Perry ... Joel says he's a powerful speaker and a friend of megachurch church in Houston -- so he reached out to the movie mogul to deliver a specific message.

While Rev. O's been delivering his sermons online for several weeks -- just as he will on Easter -- we asked him about other preachers who've defied CDC guidelines for mass gatherings. He didn't defend or admonish them, but gave his own reasoning. Sounds like he's listening to experts, as well as his Big Boss.

BTW, quarantine life's brought a big, somewhat amusing, change for Joel. Check out Wednesday's "TMZ Live," because we got into it with him.

24 Hour Fitness has some nerve ... it's still charging members even though the coronavirus pandemic is forcing all of its gyms to remain closed.

Here's the deal ... 24 Hour Fitness has been shut down nationwide since March 16, but it's still making workout fiends pay their monthly statements. In fact, the gym says any payments made between March 17 and April 15 will NOT be refunded.

24 Hour Fitness says it's gonna tack on a free month to the end of membership plans for anyone who paid for a month of a closed gym -- but that's kind of a raw deal. People need money now to deal with the pandemic, and they're paying for a service that's unavailable.

The gym says it will stop billing members on April 16, when it plans to reevaluate if it can reopen -- but that doesn't seem likely.

24 Hour Fitness' policy falls in line with Disney and Six Flags -- both charged annual pass holders despite all their theme parks going dark.

Los Angeles is implementing a new coronavirus mandate that could eventually become standard across all major cities ... everyone at an essential business is being ordered to cover their faces.

Workers and shoppers in L.A. will be required to wear non-medical grade face coverings starting Friday ... as ordered by Mayor Eric Garcetti. It's called the Worker Protection Order.

People can cover their faces with fabric, such as bandannas and scarves. The mayor says any essential business owner can deny admission or service to folks who aren't covering their face.

The rules apply to essential businesses such as grocery stores, banks, convenience stores, warehouses, restaurants, laundromats, taxis, etc. The mandate is in addition to social distancing measures, and the mayor is encouraging retailers to install plexiglass to separate cashiers and customers at points of sale.

Employers are also required to provide face coverings or reimburse employees for the cost of coverings, provide access to clean and sanitary restrooms on-site, allow employees to wash their hands every 30 minutes and implement physical distancing measures.

Failure to comply with the order constitutes a misdemeanor subject to fines and imprisonment, according to the Mayor.

The goal is pretty clear ... continuing to slow down the rapid spread of COVID-19.

This is a sad and alarming sign of the times -- residents packed together, risking coronavirus exposure to line up for unemployment benefits.

The city of Hialeah handed out paper unemployment forms at 4 different locations Tuesday in order to help those who were unable to file through Florida's website or hotline ... and created this troubling scene.

The line was full of desperate folks -- many wearing face coverings, but some not -- waiting for their applications, but clearly not following social distancing guidelines of keeping 6 feet apart.

Florida currently has more than 14,500 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and its death total is approaching 300, so it certainly calls into question the decision to make residents wait in line for unemployment forms.

Meanwhile, food banks across the country -- from Central Texas to Pittsburgh -- have been overburdened far this week with miles-long lines of cars waiting to pick up food for their families.

Feeding South Florida has reported a 600% increase in the number of people asking for food, and it's a similar story for food banks across the U.S.

Joel Osteen's still going big with his Easter service amid the coronavirus pandemic, but of course -- for safety purposes -- all the big names he's recruited will be performing remotely ... for a virtual service.

Sources close to Osteen tell TMZ ... his Lakewood Church in Houston will welcome Kanye West, Mariah Carey and Tyler Perry on Easter Sunday to deliver messages of love and support to his massive audience.

Our sources say Mariah will be part of a special tribute to medical professionals and first responders putting their lives on the line in the battle against COVID-19. We're told she's going to sing her song "Hero" via webcam.

Perry's plan is to deliver words of encouragement to the viewers during this trying time, and Kanye will be back with his choir to provide music for the service ... all while practicing proper social distancing.

Our sources say Kanye and his Sunday Service crew will be performing in L.A. and it will be broadcast over Osteen's megachurch feed.

It's unclear if all these performances will be live or prerecorded, but either way ... it will be one of the most star-studded church events ever.

"Saved by the Barn" star Dan McKernan says just dipping your toe into a plant-based diet could help reduce viral pandemics ... and, of course, spare more of the animals he rescues.

Dan was on "TMZ Live" Tuesday when he made a pitch for the vegan lifestyle, and the positive impact it can have on the planet. He's not militant about it, and instead suggests you start slowly -- a method he says worked for his 63-year-old "stubborn farmer" dad.

He also believes reducing animal consumption will reduce the number of pandemics caused by viruses jumping from animals to humans -- a la the coronavirus.

Dan's main focus, though, is on saving animals across the country and raising them on his Michigan farm. He's had a lot of success ... documented on his new show.

So far, he's saved over 100 animals -- none cuter than his pal, KJ the goat!!! Watch our video with him, we think you'll agree ... and catch the premiere of "Saved By The Barn" Saturday at 10PM on Animal Planet.

When Nike was handed the opportunity to get involved in the country's fight against coronavirus, there was only one way to respond -- just do it.

The Swoosh announced its factories are pivoting to make full-face shields and powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) lenses to help healthcare workers in need.

Nike explained it's repurposing collar-padding from shoes, cords from apparel, like bags, and the plastic used to make the brand's signature Air soles to make the face shields.

... and we gotta admit, they look kinda cool, too.

“The full-face shields help protect healthcare workers’ faces and also help to prolong the length we can safely use a surgical or N95 mask," said Dr. Miko Enomoto, associate professor at the Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine.

"Nike’s generous response to the COVID-19 crisis helps to instill an added layer of confidence and support for healthcare workers, that we can safely carry out the jobs we were born to do.”

As we previously reported ... New Balance also got into the mask-making production last week -- with hopes of making 100,000 a week.

Twitter's CEO just beat every other big shot's donation to coronavirus relief by tenfold -- he's dropping ten figures to help, and then rolling whatever's leftover to another great cause.

Jack Dorsey made the stunning announcement Tuesday on his own platform, saying he'd be putting up a billion dollars of his own money -- which he says makes up 28% of his overall wealth -- into a new fund he calls Start Small, LLC ... aimed for COVID-19 efforts.

He adds ... after beating the pandemic, the money that's still there in Start Small will begin being used for something else he's just as passionate about ... girls' health and education, as well as UBI (universal basic income). He's even got a public Google doc to track the money that's available to look at right now. Sure enough, it's valued at just under $1 billion.

Jack also gets into details about how the money will be doled out ... we'll let you read his thread for yourself -- but in short, sounds like he's going the grants route.

Not to get too shark-y here, but the donation -- which is an incredible thing, BTW -- is a major power move on Jack's part, and a little on Twitter's too. Up until now, it appears Jeff Bezos held the record for the biggest COVID-19-related donation at a staggering $100 mil.

Jack's billion blows that out of the water, obviously ... but it's not like these donations are a contest or anything, right? It's also telling that JD is going so public with a gesture like this after a little in-house drama over there at Twitter-land. Recently, some board members were reportedly out to oust him as chief ... but he prevailed in the end and is staying put.

In any case, Jack's cash will be a massive boon to the cause, and hopefully, help us end the pandemic for good before it's starts getting even more out of hand.

Thanks, Jack ... chirp on, brother.

A Baltimore police officer reacted to jeers at a housing complex by loudly coughing at residents without covering his mouth, and it's triggered an investigation.

The video shows the cop walking through the Perkins Homes complex in East Baltimore. Sounded like a few people were giving him crap when he seemed to purposefully cough right at the woman recording him.

She immediately fired back with a bunch of verbal cracks as the cop walked away. Baltimore PD spokeswoman Lindsey Eldridge says, "We have viewed the video, in its entirety, and believe it warranted being forwarded to the Public Integrity Bureau for an internal investigation."

TMZ's confirmed with police the officer, who's a sergeant, is still on active duty right now. It's unclear if he's been tested for coronavirus.

As disturbing as the cop's action was ... the woman recording shouted back some pretty ignorant info herself. For instance, she said ... "I ain't worried about that s**t. Y'all get that s**t, black people don't."

Not only is a total misconception ... there are recent reports indicating COVID-19 is having a more negative impact on the Black community.

Dr. Phil has a few home remedies for pandemic-related stress building up in your body under quarantine -- they're simple and not all that time consuming.

Phil says the first thing ya gotta do is acknowledge life is pretty messed up and stressful right now -- then, make a daily conscious effort to deal with it.

The good news from the good doc -- who joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" -- is you just need a very basic exercise -- 10 seconds of tensing up, 10 seconds of relaxation. Watch the vid, Phil does a tutorial.

He also recommends breathing in for 3 seconds and exhaling for 6 to release tension and relieve physical stress.

Seems almost too simple, but Phil told us the mental stress that comes from self-isolation is a very real, and potentially debilitating, thing -- so take time to relax and breathe.

Oh, and when your mind starts racing ... make sure you're thinking about the right kinda stuff. Phil's got a checklist to keep you on the right path.

Here's Justin Trudeau putting a super-gross image in the minds of Canadians dealing with the coronavirus pandemic -- he says face coverings prevent you from "speaking moistly."

Canada's Prime Minister uttered the phrase Tuesday during his daily address on the virus ... and ya gotta see the video, because he's getting roasted online!!!

It's kinda hilarious, but mostly awkward ... Justin's talking about the benefits of protective face masks when he says "it prevents you from breathing or speaking moistly" on others.

The PM instantly knew he'd just stepped in it. He paused, then admitted he'd just given life to a "terrible image."

See, America? It's not just our leaders who put their feet in their mouths during virus briefings. As they say, misery loves company.