Coronavirus

'Bachelor' star Colton Underwood looked worse for wear when he emerged for the first time since announcing he tested positive for coronavirus.

The former leading man of the reality show surfaced Saturday from a home he's been staying at in Huntington Beach, CA ... and as he made his way out to the balcony, certainly looking like someone who was down and out and going through it -- COVID-19, that is. He revealed last week he'd tested positive for the novel virus.

Hood on, sad face ... his look here says it all. He's not happy right now.

Luckily, his girlfriend, Cassie, is right there by his side -- and it appears Colton's neighbors are well aware of his condition and are wishing him well. Cassie was photographed coming to the front porch to receive a bouquet of flowers someone had left there ... presumably for CU.

The International Olympics Committee is finally starting to crack a little on their firm stance that they will NOT be canceling the 2002 Olympics ... now saying they're considering postponing, but not any time soon.

The organization said Sunday that they would be imposing a four-week deadline on themselves to make a decision on what to do about the Tokyo Olympics, which are set (as of now) to kick off in mid-July. Interestingly enough, they're still a hard no on full-on canceling.

They say they're going to step up "scenario planning" in the coming weeks, but maintain that pulling the plug entirely is not on the agenda, and wouldn't be in anyone's best interest. Sounds like if push comes to shove -- and the coronavirus becomes insurmountable for the foreseeable future -- the IOC would postpone the games at best.

Their rationale ... the org says, "A number of critical venues needed for the Games could potentially not be available anymore." They continue, "The situations with millions of nights already booked in hotels is extremely difficult to handle, and the international sports calendar for at least 33 Olympic sports would have to be adapted. These are just a few of many, many more challenges." In short, Japan would lose millions upon millions.

NPR's Ira Glass is keeping his weekly syndicated show going strong ... from the confines of his own closet.

The longtime radio host -- who runs "This American Life" out of Chicago -- posted a photo Sunday showing himself doing some narration for this week's program. He wrote, "Recording this week’s show (well, I closed the closet doors while I read my narration)."

Looks like he's taking the gig seriously even from home -- Ira was suited and booted from head to ... well, not so much toe. He was actually barefoot from the closet. Home is home, after all.

Joshua Tree's campgrounds may be closed -- but people are still visiting in droves during the pandemic ... which is pissing off a lot of the locals, who are shooing the masses away.

The national park closed its gates Saturday to campers and vehicles wanting to pull into their lots for some desert fun -- but because the area is still open to hikers and bikers ... a bunch of Angelenos and others made a mass exodus to the Coachella Valley-area grounds this weekend.

That caused a bit of pandemonium for some of the locals who live right nearby, including 15-year resident Carrie Dagher ... who tells TMZ she's been in full chase-off mode with out-of-town dopes who keep wandering onto her property, apparently thinking it's God's land.

Not the case, according to Carrie ... who says she's literally confronted and driven about 100 different people who unknowingly crossed her front and back yards while exploring the area. Her property and others can stretch anywhere from 1 to 3 acres, so it's understandable a mistaken trespass might happen here and there. That's not the only problem though.

Carrie also tells us some would-be campers have even tried pitching a tent right in her front yard, which she quickly put a stop to as well. Lawn chairs and picnics have also been attempted on her property -- it seems people either don't know or don't care.

The bigger issue, though, is that because of the massive amount of cars coming to the area -- not to mention all the people they're transporting -- Carrie says these bored city-slickers are actually ruining the land with constant traversing, contaminating the rich soil specifically.

BTW, Joshua Tree is far from the only hiking hot spot people want to get to right now -- the Runyon Canyon trail in the heart of L.A. is also drawing hordes of bodies ... most of whom are NOT maintaining any sense of social distancing as they shuffle past each other.

Snitches (or good citizens, really) have been tagging Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti to notify them of the bizarre scene, in hopes of getting these public places shut down to avoid further spreading of the coronavirus.

Rand Paul says he's tested positive for the coronavirus ... making him the first U.S. Senator to contract the disease.

The Kentucky legislator made the announcement Sunday on Twitter, writing ... "Senator Rand Paul has tested positive for COVID-19. He is feeling fine and is in quarantine. He is asymptomatic and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events." He continued, "He was not aware of any direct contact with any infected person."

Sen. Paul followed up by saying he'll continue working while in isolation, adding his staff should be in the clear here too. His account explains in detail, writing ... "He expects to be back in the Senate after his quarantine period ends and will continue to work for the people of Kentucky at this difficult time. Ten days ago, our D.C. office began operating remotely, hence virtually no staff has had contact with Senator Rand Paul."

Again, Rand Paul appears to be the very first of his colleagues on the Hill to have contracted coronavirus. Funny enough, he's kinda been one of a few lawmakers fighting a new bill that would cover Americans' sick leave and essentially put money into their pockets.

He's argued that the response requires over a trillion dollars in federal spending, and insists the economy simply cannot sustain that -- even in these dire times.

Wonder how he's feeling about that now?

Rita Wilson's killing time under quarantine with a little old school hip-hop -- and she apparently knows one of its gems by heart ... down to a freakin' tee!

The actress posted an awesome video over the weekend showing herself at her home in Australia -- this after she and her hubby, Tom Hanks, were recently released from a hospital there after testing positive for coronavirus. She's doing well, it seems ... well enough to spit bar for bar with the likes of Naughty By Nature.

In her home movie, Rita raps along to the group's cult classic hit, "Hip Hop Hooray," which if you're familiar with ... you know it's a down and dirty lyrical rhyme fest -- '90s style, baby.

Her attached caption is pretty on point with the content -- RW writes, "Quarantine Stir Crazy. See it to believe it." Very true ... 'cause her rap skills are unbelievable.

Now, we know what you're thinking ... any language in there she might wanna avoid? Nope! 'HHH' is mostly foul language-free (aside from one "s***," which Rita does drop) ... so it's all kosher as far as we can tell. Just good old wholesome social distance fun.

Costco is unsympathetic to all the folks who stocked up on toilet paper like they were never gonna get another sheet ... because the superstore has made it clear -- NO REFUNDS!!!

This sign was plastered on the wall of the Costco in Pentagon City outside Washington, D.C.  Now that people have settled in, it seems they're realizing they have waaaaaay too much toilet paper, hand sanitizer, wipes and Lysol, and apparently some are trying to return it for cash.

You gotta be a little sympathetic ... lots of people got laid off after they hoarded these items, so money is a huge issue.

Plácido Domingo has tested positive for coronavirus.

The Spanish-born singer just said, “I feel it is my moral duty to announce to you that I have tested positive for COVID19, the Corona virus. My Family and I are all in self isolation for as long as it is deemed medically necessary. Currently we are all in good health but I experienced fever and cough symptoms therefore deciding to get tested and the result came back positive.”

He went on, “I beg everyone to be extremely careful, follow the basic guidelines by washing your hands frequently, keeping at least a 6 feet distance from others, doing everything you can to stop the virus from spreading and please above all stay home if you can ! Together we can fight this virus and stop the current worldwide crisis, so we can hopefully return to our normal daily lives very soon. Please follow your local government’s guidelines and regulations for staying safe and protecting not just yourselves but our entire community. Plácido Domingo”

The news comes a day after Domingo resigned from AGMA and donated $500,000 for a relief fund to help those during the crisis. The resignation came after a number of women accused the 79-year-old of sexual harassment.

There has been a lot of talk about how you contract the coronavirus, and this vid really explains it well, so we thought you'd want to watch.

It's interesting. It illustrates how the virus spreads in the body, and how preventative measures keep you protected.

It also vividly -- and alarmingly -- shows how the way we deal with the virus in the early stages determines how it will evolve in the later stages. In other words, the way it begins determines the way it ends.

The video doesn't sugarcoat the danger ... it explains it especially well.

It also explains and illustrates how soap is the magic weapon against the coronavirus.

Idris Elba's wife just told Oprah she tested positive for the coronavirus, and it raises the issue that people are talking about from The White House to Hollywood -- how are these tests being distributed?

Sabrina Dhowre told Oprah she's been by Idris' side the whole time, and that's not going to change. She said it's a wife's instinct to be with her husband when he's down, and that's just what she did.

Sabrina says she doesn't have any symptoms ... nevertheless, she got the test.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious disease specialist on The White House Coronavirus Task Force, urged people as late as Saturday not to get tested if they are asymptomatic.

It's unclear how celebrities and professional athletes are getting hold of these tests, but clearly they are.

Get ready to settle in, because the coronavirus quarantine will probably last into June ... this according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.

Mnuchin appeared on Fox Sunday and said he expects the outbreak to last 10 to 12 weeks. For 80 million Americans -- and the number will almost certainly grow -- that means staying at home until it's safe to venture out.

Of course, Mnuchin's not a doctor, and much of the info coming out of The White House has been a combo of alarming and inaccurate.

As for why it took the federal government so long to respond, Mnuchin said, "Nobody expected this to take off at the rate it did." Thing is ... The White House got word there was a big problem just after New Year's.

Lots of folks coping with the coronavirus scare have done a really good thing ... adopt a pet that needs a home for companionship and love, but the doors to many adoption agencies are closing.

Paw Works has been in overdrive over the last week ... check out some of the beneficiaries, like Wilbur, Saroo, Guddu, Sapphire and Granite -- 32 in all.

Here's the problem ... Paw Works and other animal rescue orgs are out of cash. From Paw Works ... "As of today, our Adoption Centers are closed until further notice ... Currently, there is nothing in place with the government to assist us with the rents and utilities that we pay as we do not fall into any of the categories."

They add, "In addition, the tax benefits allotted to businesses do not help us now or in the future. Closing all non-essential business puts us in jeopardy of future financial hardships, up to permanent closure."

Paw Works needs to raise $6,700 to cover April rent for its 3 locations. A tall order given what's going on. The org has saved more than 5,500 dogs and cats.

Bethenny Frankel is about to deliver half-a-million masks to doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who are at high risk for contracting coronavirus, and the decks have just been cleared to deliver them quickly.

FEMA has told hospital workers they can get masks outside normal channels and get reimbursement because the supply is so critically lacking.

Bethenny tells TMZ, she's getting thousands of messages a day from medical professionals -- many in New York but also other areas of the country -- begging for help.

Bethenny's foundation, Bstrong, in partnership with Global Empowerment Mission is working with manufacturers from all over the world to make masks, and the number she's making has ballooned from 10,000 to 500,000 N-95 masks and counting.

She says the masks will be available in a few days and they will go directly to the people who need it, because the red tape is being eliminated.

Idris Elba contracting the coronavirus meant several members of his movie crew had to quarantine like he did, but they're pissed about how producers handled the crisis.

As we reported, Idris revealed Monday he tested positive for COVID-19, but actually went into isolation on March 13 when he discovered he'd been in contact with someone who had the virus -- possibly Justin Trudeau's wife -- during a March 4 event in London.

The bigger problem, though -- the actor spent the next several days after that event in Sante Fe, New Mexico rehearsing with his costars and crew members for the upcoming Netflix flick, "The Harder They Fall."

So, if Idris really did contract it in London ... he would've unwittingly exposed some people on set. Sources close to production tell TMZ ... filming was halted last Friday, and the crew was told it was due to growing fears over the pandemic. We're told there was no mention Idris was getting tested.

As for why they're concerned -- we're told Idris had some direct contact with members of the stunt team during rehearsals ... part of which took place in a small cabin.

Yet, our sources say nobody was informed them Idris tested positive until the actor revealed it himself on March 16.

That same day, we're told some of the crew traveled home -- possibly exposing even more people -- but other crew members chose to stay and self-quarantine ... and they're still there. Idris is also still self-quarantining at a house on location, while the crew remains at a hotel in Santa Fe.

No one's peeved about the housing situation ... it's more the lack of communication about potential risks following the news about Idris' positive test.

We're told, as of Friday, no one who worked on the film has been tested, and many people feel more should be done to protect them or give them some peace of mind.

Of course, the shortage of COVID-19 tests has been a major issue nationwide, but if that's the case ... our sources say production or higher-ups at Netflix should be conveying that, but so far they've been silent.