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Two pet cats have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in New York ... and the feds say these are the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in companion animals in the U.S.

The felines have mild respiratory illnesses and are expected to recover, according to the USDA and CDC. The cats are believed to have contracted the virus from humans who live with them or from folks in their neighborhoods.

As we reported ... pets are at risk of catching the coronavirus from unsuspecting owners. Cats and ferrets are the most susceptible.

While these 2 cats are the first confirmed cases of the virus in U.S. pets, other animals have already been infected ... including a tiger at the Bronx Zoo and 2 dogs in Hong Kong.

The CDC says people should not panic or be afraid of pets. Nor should you rush to get animals tested for the virus.

The agency says there is no evidence pets are spreading COVID-19 to people but recommends pet owners keep their companions from interacting with people and animals outside their residence.

The cats were reportedly tested for the virus at veterinary labs, and the tests used different chemicals than human tests, which remain hard to come by amid the pandemic.

The USDA says coronavirus testing is not recommended for pets unless the animal is showing symptoms or has been exposed to a human with COVID-19.

The two infected felines live in different parts of NY state, but the USDA and CDC will not specify their locations.

The first cat got sick roughly a week after someone in the home had a short respiratory illness, although the person was not confirmed to have COVID-19. The feline also went outside, so it could have been in contact with an infected person in the neighborhood.

Keisha Lance Bottoms says she's "dumbfounded" by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp's decision to reopen the state's economy despite red flags everywhere ... so she's using her voice to try to keep people safe during the pandemic instead.

The Mayor of Atlanta tells us she understands people are going stir-crazy and want to get out, but she believes everyone still needs to be responsible and stay home for now ... otherwise coronavirus problems are only going to get worse.

Bottoms points out the businesses set to reopen this week -- hair & nail salons, barbershops, massage parlors -- practically make it impossible to social distance and pose a huge problem in ATL's black community ... which has already been hit hard by COVID-19.

So, the mayor's encouraging Georgians to listen to reason coming from health experts and hospital workers bearing the brunt of the crisis ... instead of what Gov. Kemp and President Trump are pushing. We know some celeb hair & makeup stylists in Atlanta have her back.

Bottoms knows it's a challenge, though, because she's dealing with it in her own house -- especially with her 18-year-old son. Listen to what Bottoms tells us about how that's playing out ... it's clear who's boss!

Post Malone is paying tribute to Kurt Cobain's iconic band with a special concert from home, featuring Nirvana songs ... and it's all for coronavirus relief charities.

The singer put up a somewhat cryptic video Wednesday, showing himself sitting on a stool onstage, with an acoustic guitar in hand ... while an unseen crowd cheers in the background. It's very reminiscent of Kurt's famous ''MTV: Unplugged'' show from back in the '90s.

After the footage plays, a title card reading "Post Malone Nirvana Tribute Livestream" flashes on the screen teasing a Friday YouTube special.

Our sources say Post wanted to honor the Nirvana frontman this month, which marks the 26th anniversary of his death. In the same breath, he also wants to help out in the COVID-19 fight.

Post will have a donate button on his YouTube page on the day of the at-home special -- which we're told will be shot at his living room bar -- and the cash will go toward the United Nations Foundation’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization -- a newly-created org that uses funds to help train and equip communities to detect and fend off the virus on the ground. YouTube's matching all of PM's donations.

It sounds like the music will be strictly Nirvana, although it's possible he might sprinkle a few other songs in there too.

FYI ... he's got a tattoo on his face that reads "Stay Away," after the Nirvana song of the same name. So yeah, better than average chance you'll hear that one come Friday.

Leslie Jordan is fast becoming a social media darling, but it's what he's NOT doing with his sudden IG fame that sets him apart ... especially in Hollywood.

The viral sensation joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and we asked Leslie how he's been able to skyrocket from about 80,000 Insta followers to a whopping 3.5 million in only a matter of weeks.

Leslie says the recipe for success is pretty simple ... he's not looking to monetize his videos, he's just being himself -- a silly, funny, goofy, happy-go-lucky senior citizen. You can tell he's genuine, just listen to him talk about learning new IG terminology.

If you aren't among the millions of folks to recently discover Leslie's page in quarantine, you're missing out on his hilarious videos ... like his back scratch workout, which he breaks down for us in his own special way.

Prior to sheltering in place, Leslie was best known for his work on "Will and Grace" and "American Horror Story" ... but he tells us why he's not watching scripted shows or movies while he's in quarantine.

Several Washington Redskins players were spotted at the team facility in Virginia on Wednesday ... and while it's not the best social distancing look, the team insists they did nothing wrong.

Star running back Derrius Guice -- along with other players and team staffers -- were putting in some work at the Inova Sports Performance Center at Redskins Park  ... with Guice noting, "Grind never stops."

So, with the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing -- and the NFL taking drastic quarantine measures for the NFL Draft on Thursday -- we hit up the team to find out what was going on!

"All players at the facility today were rehabbing injuries and fall under allowed exception to be in the building," a team spokesperson tells TMZ Sports."

"We were not conducting organized workouts as part of our program."

A team source put it this way ... the pics are not a great look, but the guys understand the seriousness of the situation and were truly trying their best to keep their distance.

Sometimes, they would step too close -- and other staffers would instruct them to separate.

Katy Perry and George Clooney's wax figures in Germany are a cookie-cutter display of life in quarantine -- or at least, an outdated, kinda sexist life.

Check out the figures that came straight from Madame Tussauds' Wax Museum in Berlin, and you'll see what we're talking about. KP and GC have been placed in a picturesque home, where Katy's wax job is cooking at a grill. Georgie boy is kicking back and enjoying the view from a comfy balcony chair.

In a close-up of George, you can see he's got a laptop out and a cup of Joe next to him. Looks like a cushy set-up -- the man chills while the woman handles domestic duties. Ummm, the 1950s postcard in your grandpa's basement called ... and wants its stereotypes back.

The antiquated gender role tropes don't end there -- another shot of wax Katy shows her in the kitchen this time wearing an apron ... only now, she's baking cookies and striking that weird pose at the same time. Those don't change, unfortunately ... just location.

We're guessing Madame Tussaud wouldn't try these poses at their museums in London, or certainly here in the L.A. branch.

Germany certainly marches to its own beat. Guten tag from the last century, y'all 👋🏽.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is itching to reopen the state's economy, but many of the people who service celebs there aren't feeling it, and think it's an irresponsible move.

TMZ spoke with several hairstylists and makeup artists to the stars in Atlanta, and the general consensus is ... Gov. Kemp's making a mistake opening businesses Friday, and they side with ATL Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who believes Kemp's decision is a danger to public health.

Beauty influencer Alonzo Arnold, whose clients include Solange and Missy Elliott, tells us ... he doesn't believe reopening GA's economy is safe at all, and he won't be returning to work for at least another month.

He says the Atlanta salon where he works is planning to open its doors Friday, but he won't be there. Alonzo says it's just not worth the risk.

As you know, many businesses ... including hair and nail salons, gyms, tattoo parlors and bowling alleys have the green light to open. That's despite the fact they require close contact with or between customers.

Makeup artist Lauren Sinclair -- who's worked with Lil' Kim and Porsha Williams -- calls what the Governor is doing, "completely irresponsible." She says it's still nearly impossible to find disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer in ATL right now, which makes her feel like this is totally unsafe. She's not working Friday, and says she won't consider returning for a couple more weeks.

One of Tiny Harris' hairstylists, B'Lyel Harris, tells us he's completely cut himself off from meeting clients since March 13. He admits he's nearly broke, but says he has a complication -- an autoimmune disease. So, B'Lyel truly fears he could die going back to work.

Makeup artist Akil McCoy, who's done work for City Girls and B. Simone, says he personally knows people who've tested positive for COVID-19 but are still out and about. That's why he fears opening businesses back up could lead to a spike in cases.

He says he's passed on booking celebrity work because it would violate social distancing, but he needs to start making appointments soon. McCoy says he's trying to figure out a way to do it safely amid the coronavirus ... something other stylists are struggling with too.

Italy's lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic has kept the gondolas and the tourists out of the Venice waterways ... and wildlife is taking advantage of it.

This jellyfish was seen casually swimming through the now crystal clear canals, seemingly without a care in the world. Look at it, totally oblivious to the COVID-19 crisis responsible for it getting some R&R in Venice.

The clear and boat-free canal water, due to the country's lockdown, has brought out more than jellyfish too -- fish are visible again and swans have been able to chill out.

However, the clearer water doesn't necessarily mean it's much cleaner. A Venice official says less action on the canals simply allows gross stuff to stay at the bottom, adding ... "It's because there is less boat traffic that usually brings sediment to the top of the water's surface."

The federal government admits it's sent stimulus payments to more than 80 million people so far, but some of 'em will never get the dough ... 'cause they're dead.

As the IRS rushes to distribute cash to roughly 150 million Americans, the first wave of deposits went directly into bank accounts of folks who filed a tax return in 2018 or 2019 and got a refund.

Pretty streamlined process, in theory, but the problem is ... some of those people have died since then -- and the government didn't know -- so they still got the money.

Reports of the dead getting paid started coming out last weekend, mostly from surviving spouses or those with bank accounts still open to settle the estates of family members who have passed.

Though these people may have reported the deaths, and the IRS is supposed to check death records before approving payments ... there are apparently gaps in the process and delays in reporting to the Treasury Dept.

As for whether these dead folks can keep the money -- there's some mixed messaging. President Trump said Friday, "Sometimes you send a check to somebody wrong ... We’ll get that back."

Some legal experts think otherwise, though, and an IRS spokesperson added ... "We are aware of all the various issues involving surviving spouses and other heirs and are still working on them."

Meanwhile ... thousands, if not millions, of people who truly need the money -- from disabled veterans to Social Security retirees to families living below the poverty line -- are still waiting to be paid.

A dirt track in South Dakota says it'll put a race on in front of 700 (!!!) fans this weekend, despite the COVID-19 pandemic ... and the state's governor ain't pleased with the plan.

Here's the deal ... Park Jefferson International Speedway in North Sioux City, SD says it's playing host to a big race on Saturday despite the risks of spreading coronavirus.

The track's owner, Adam Adamson, says they'll take all precautions necessary to keep people safe at the event ... claiming by only allowing 700 people in the 4,000-seat venue, proper social distancing guidelines will be followed.

Adamson also tells the Argus Leader the event will be entirely cashless ... and the clubhouse where large groups of people usually congregate will be closed.

The problem? Even with precautions taken ... 700 people in a small area is a BAD idea at this stage in the global pandemic -- and now, the state's governor is issuing a plea for people to stay away.

Gov. Kristi Noem said in her press conference Tuesday, "I'm going to strongly recommend to the people of South Dakota that they not go and that they stay home."

She added, "We're asking that they be wise and smart to continue on the path and plan we’ve laid out for South Dakota for several more weeks."

Of course, Noem has been widely panned for NOT issuing a mandatory stay-at-home order for the state ... this despite South Dakota having over 1,700 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

As for Adamson, he claims spectators will be fine at the event ... adding, "We intend to go overboard on following CDC guidelines."