Coronavirus

This was bound to happen -- several stands have popped up across L.A. selling COVID-19 protective gear ... but for once, vendors are NOT fearing getting shut down by cops.

We're told one stand in particular just off Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood is selling black masks ($10), masks with designs ($5), face coverings ($20), 10-pack gloves ($5) and boxes of gloves ($20) and bodysuits ($20). The vendor at this stand tells us her dad owns a medical supply company and he gave her a stash to sell.

This is just one example of the several stands setting up shop across town. Those who shop are also encouraged to practice social distancing ... like in the sign posted at the shop on Sunset Blvd. It's no coincidence why there have been more and more stands like this popping up ... since L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti ordered residents last week that they must wear masks or other types of face-coverings when inside grocery stores and other essential businesses.

Now, normally when these stands pop up they're usually shut down when cops roll up asking to see a permit. LAPD sources, however, tell TMZ ... they're largely letting vendors handle their business. But, there are exceptions.

We're told cops will interfere if there are large crowds, price gouging and those sorts of things. In short, cops understand the items being sold are really necessary right now and these stands provide a cheap and incredibly quick alternative. An easy search for these items on Amazon shows orders not being fulfilled until at least late April to early May.

But, good luck trying to sell these items in Bev Hills. We're told anyone selling them there will need a peddler's permit. Either way, the town for the rich and famous has been a ghost town as of late.

Tons of luxury stores in the 90201 have not only closed shop ... they've emptied out their merch to avoid being victims of looting. Some shops even boarded up their storefront. Saint Laurent, Cartier and Louis Vuitton are just some of the stores that got out of dodge.

Dr. Deborah Birx is in the hall of fame -- the Bobblehead Hall of Fame -- and like Dr. Fauci before her ... her plastic likeness will raise funds for protective gear for medical workers.

Bobbleheads for Birx -- the coronavirus response coordinator for the White House task force -- went on pre-sale Wednesday for $25, and 5 bucks from each sale will be donated to the American Hospital Association's Protect the Heroes campaign ... according to National Bobblehead HOF and Museum co-founder Phil Sklar.

Sklar says ... "Bobbleheads are the ultimate honor, and we think Dr. Birx deserves it, given what she has done and continues to do for our country and the world in the battle against COVID-19."

Birx's figurine features her wearing one of her signatures scarves, which have garnered a fan following -- one Instagram account has more than 17,000 followers. The bobbleheads are expected to ship in July.

Joaquin Phoenix is joining the chorus of people advocating for some prisoners to be released in order to prevent a coronavirus outbreak among the incarcerated.

The "Joker" star's specifically calling for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to grant clemency to NY inmates, saying ... "The spread of coronavirus in prisons threatens the health and safety of all of us."

Phoenix adds that prisoners are unable to practice proper social distancing or maintain good hygiene, putting them at greater risk of infection, and says ... "No one deserves to die in prison from COVID-19."

It's unclear exactly what category of prisoner the actor's suggesting be released -- his message was delivered by the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign -- but Cuomo's office say they're already working on it.

Secretary to the Governor, Melissa DeRosa, tells TMZ ... a process has begun to release inmates "with 90 days or less remaining on their sentence who are 55 years of age or older, and whose underlying crime was not a violent felony or a sex offense."

This sounds similar to the "compassionate release" of qualifying prisoners Van Jones has been pushing for amid the pandemic ... meaning low-level and non-violent offenders.

Of course, many prisons across the country are already seeing high rates of coronavirus infection. Interestingly, one prison with ZERO cases is the supermax in Colorado that houses the most notorious criminals like El Chapo and the Unabomber.

Great news, sports fans ... Dr. Anthony Fauci is throwing out a way to bring back sports in America -- and it seems feasible!

"There's a way of doing that [bringing sports back]," Fauci said during a Snapchat interview.

Here's the plan ...

"Nobody comes to the stadium. Put them in big hotels, wherever you want to play. Keep them very well surveilled ... have them tested like every week and make sure they don’t wind up infecting each other or their family and just let them play the season out."

On a personal note, Fauci says he would LOVE to get sports back again -- he's a big baseball fan who loves the Washington Nationals.

"People say, 'Well you cant play without spectators.' I think you'll probably get enough buy-in from people who are dying to see a baseball game, particularly me!"

MLB has floated an idea that seems similar to Fauci's plan -- moving the players to Arizona and having them play in empty stadiums there.

Chippendales is making their fans' wildest fantasies come true -- you can finally bring home one of their exotic dancers!!!

The male revue is offering a new virtual experience called "Chippendales@Home" ... and the streaming parties allow party people to hang out with Chippendales dancers from the comfort of their own homes.

The virtual experience is a 30-minute party with at least 2 Chippendales dancers and you can chat, flirt, play games and most importantly -- give or receive a virtual lap dance!!!

The new service streams from platforms such as ZOOM, House Party, FaceTime or Google Hangout -- and Chippendales says it's way easier to get to know their performers in such an intimate group setting.

They're also offering FREE virtual parties for health care workers and first responders -- a well-deserved treat for them. Additionally, if you bought a ticket to a Chippendales show postponed by the pandemic ... you can also get a free party.

As we reported ... Chippendales has been going the digital route to keep clients entertained during shelter-in-place orders, with in-home workout tutorials.

But, now it's expanding, and the virtual lap dance sounds way more fun!!!

Tom Brady just offered up an INSANE package for COVID-19 relief efforts that includes his first-ever Buccaneers jersey ... and he's challenging Roger Goodell to one-up his donation!

TB12 on Wednesday officially joined the #AllIn movement -- a fundraiser started by 76ers partner Michael Rubin aimed at giving away amazing prizes in exchange for coronavirus donations -- and what Tom is offering up is pretty crazy.

The new Tampa Bay QB says the winner of his charity auction will score a trip to Florida for his first game as a Buccaneer and receive the FULL VIP treatment at Raymond James Stadium.

Tom also says the lucky auction winner will get his first Bucs jersey, his game-worn cleats from the day AND dinner with the GOAT after the game!!!

The starting bid for the once-in-a-lifetime experience? $50,000 -- and it seems like it's going up in a hurry!!

As for who Brady challenged to join him in the charity efforts ... he picked out his wife, Gisele, his buddy, Drake -- and, interestingly, NFL commish Goodell.

Of course, Brady and Goodell haven't had the best relationship over the years ... Roger famously suspended him FOUR GAMES back in 2015 for allegedly deflating footballs.

But, is this an olive branch from Tom??

YNW Melly's going to have to get over the coronavirus from his jail cell -- a judge shot down his request to get out while awaiting his double murder trial.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... the rapper will remain in the Broward County Jail in Florida despite allegedly testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this month.

We broke the story ... Melly's lawyer, Bradford Cohen, filed docs claiming his client was suffering from several of the telltale symptoms of coronavirus -- chills, labored breathing, headaches and body aches -- after testing positive.

The rapper's side argued he's in danger of dying due to his infection, along with inadequate care and protection provided by the jail. Melly hoped the judge would release him to house arrest and allow him to be treated at a medical facility at his own expense ... but no dice.

In his order, the judge says if Melly needs special medical treatment while in jail, he can request it from the Broward Sheriff's Office.

This should come as good news for the families of Melly's alleged victims, who opposed the rapper's release request ... stating he didn't deserve it and could potentially be a threat to them and other witnesses.

As you know ... Melly's been in lockup for more than a year after being arrested and charged for the early 2019 double murder of 2 of his friends.

Italy wants to inch back to normalcy using baby steps -- and as summer nears, one company suggests keeping people boxed in on their sandy shores ... say hello to beach cubicles!!!

Officials in the European nation -- which has been hard-hit by coronavirus, and is currently on a full-blown national lockdown -- have been brainstorming ways to ease people back into public life, especially as their tourism season starts to pick up in the next few months.

Welp, a company called Nuova Neon Group Due Srl gave their elevator pitch this week to a bunch of Italian bigwigs on how to get folks back to their gorgeous shores, but still maintain some social distancing at the same time. As we've seen, it's hard to do both.

Their bright idea ... 15 feet x 15 feet plexiglass walls that would enclose a party of no more than two or three people tops, just enough for a couple chairs and an umbrella. That's what Nuova thinks will do the trick, but Italian lifeguard orgs think it's a bit too wacky.

The president of a lifeguard cooperative there is quoted as comparing the beach boxes as "chicken coops," going on to say no one in their right mind would subject themselves to being stuck in there under the scorching sun. Other lifeguard honchos agreed ... they hate it.

Philadelphia 76ers partner Michael Rubin has the likes of Kevin Hart, Meek Mill, Justin Bieber and Magic Johnson backing his amazing plan to raise money for COVID-19 relief.

Rubin launched the "All In Challenge" Tuesday -- it's a massive fundraiser to feed Americans affected by the coronavirus pandemic ... and it's offering once-in-a-lifetime fan experiences in hopes of raising tens of millions of dollars.

People who want to donate to a great cause can throw down as little as $10 to enter to win awesome prizes ... like a chance to be in Kevin's next movie or spend a day with Ryan Seacrest on ALL of his jobs!!!

Meanwhile, Meek is auctioning off his 2019 Rolls-Royce Phantom!!! Opening bid ... $200k. If ya wanna be a baller in the NBA -- it'll be back eventually -- Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is giving you a shot to suit up for a game. FOR REAL!!

And, for those big ballers, there's a bunch of auctions ... like a $50,000 opening bid to play H.O.R.S.E. with Magic and sit courtside at a Lakers game. NBD.

Scores of other actors, athletes, singers and celebs, in general, are getting involved -- it's a challenge, after all, so everyone's calling out their friends. Kevin's lookin' at you, Rock.

So, check out what Yo Gotti, Alex Rodriguez, Todd Gurley, Zach and Julie Ertz, Ben Simmons and many more are offering. It's all at allinchallenge.com.

Justin Bieber just joined too, and says he's gonna fly to the winner's home and sing, "One Less Lonely Girl."

Rubin says 100% of money raised will be donated to programs to feed the hungry, including ... Meals on Wheels, No Kid Hungry, World Central Kitchen, America's Food Fund and Feeding America.

Good luck and be on the lookout for way more celebs to join the fundraiser. Whatchu got Dwyane Wade???

The company behind the EDM fest Lightning in a Bottle is breaking the law by refusing to issue refunds ... or so claims a would-be concertgoer, turned plaintiff.

Michael Geragos of the Geragos Law Group filed a class-action lawsuit against Do Lab, Inc. on behalf of an Illinois woman named Tessa Nesis who purchased a ticket to the festival. Do Lab is the company that puts on the central California festival.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Nesis claims the festival, scheduled for May, allegedly sold between 10,000 and 20,000 tickets, but it was obviously canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. She claims organizers refuse to offer any refunds.

The event released a statement last month saying, "Sadly, we cannot offer refunds for the canceled event. We are, however, working on a plan to make you whole over the next few LIB’s. This will include a system for crediting you for future years."

While some pastors refuse to tell worshippers to stay home amid the pandemic -- Joel Osteen is sticking to digital preaching, and getting astounding results.

Sources close to Lakewood Church tell TMZ ... Joel's total viewership this past weekend was a whopping 11.73 million people across multiple platforms like his own website, Facebook and YouTube. And yes, that's a new record for Lakewood.

The staggering numbers cover 3 webcasts across Saturday and Sunday. Osteen's service clearly benefitted from Mariah Carey and Tyler Perry's guest appearances. Of course, it was Easter ... so that alone brings a boost.

As we reported ... Kanye West and his choir weren't able to join the festivities because Ye felt the acoustic's of his Sunday Service Choir wouldn't be effective with them as spread out as they needed to be.

Joel's Easter stats actually toppled his previous record set by Ye and co. last year, when they appeared in-person at Lakewood -- drawing just over 4 million total viewers that day.

As we reported, churches in Florida, Louisiana and Kentucky ... to name just a few ... have refused to shut down, putting thousands at risk.

Timbaland says his virtual rap battle show -- featuring the likes of RZA and Lil Jon -- is catching the eyes of entertainment bigwigs ... but he and Swizz Beatz ain't ready to sell out just yet!!!

The mega-producer joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and gave us the lowdown on "Verzuz" -- the super-popular IG Live program he and Swizz Beatz created.

If you're not one of the millions of people who've tuned in to see T-Pain battle Lil Jon, Mannie Fresh destroyed by Scott Storch or RZA go up against DJ Premier, you're missing out on what Timbaland says is the next big thing in entertainment ... and many of Hollywood's movers and shakers agree.

Timbaland tells us "Verzuz" is already generating a lot of corporate interest -- and he names names -- but he told us, right now, he and Swizz are keeping things natural and fun and do it for the culture.

Translation: We ain't selling. At least not during the nearly nationwide quarantines. Afterward ... well, that's a different story.

Keep in mind, Timbaland and Swizz didn't even promote the series, they just started it -- they originally went head-to-head -- and it grew organically.

Get your mouths ready ... 'cause the fastest food eaters on the planet are teaming up for a quarantine tournament for the ages!!!

Thanks to Major League Eating, sports fans FINALLY have some competition to look forward to -- a livestreamed event on April 17.

The biggest names in the biz -- from Joey Chestnut to Matt Stonie to #1 female eater Miki Sudo -- are slated to compete ... and the food choices are extra quarantine friendly.

Here's the breakdown ...

Qualifying Round: Sliced Bologna -- two pounds

Quarterfinals: Milk and Cookies -- one family pack of Oreos and a half-gallon of milk

Semifinals: Baked Beans -- 1.5 gallons

Finals: Ramen Noodles -- 10 individual ramen cups

MLE chairman George Shea noted this is the first major sports competition to come back since the global pandemic ... and he sees it as a good thing.

"While there has been substantial discussion about which professional sport would be the first to return -- with baseball, basketball, golf and MMA all floating recent potential return plans -- competitive eating is first to come back. It is a powerful statement of American resilience."

To make it an even more sports-centered event, BetOnline is taking bets on who will go home the big winner!!

Speaking of the winner, whoever ends up the champ will take home a $5,000 reward!!

Both BetOnline and MLE are also donating $10k to Feeding America ... so it's for a good cause!!

Pastor Tony Spell wasn't lying about the number of heads inside his church walls for Easter Sunday -- 'cause now we got visual proof ... and it sure looked like a full house.

The Baton Rouge minister posted this photo as the header on his Facebook page following his Easter service, which went down as promised ... and to just as much fanfare as he'd been hyping. There's a lot of people here, and the Life Tabernacle Church building is probably way bigger than just this. Translation ... the place was pretty damn packed.

You'll recall ... Spell broadcasted his ceremony online, but it appeared he tried keeping the cameras off people in the pews as much as possible. Still, you could see glimpses of the crowd size -- it seemed to be quite a few -- and he eventually claimed it was 1,300-plus in attendance.

The pic certainly seems to indicate about how many folks could've been there -- he'd been telling media he was expecting around 2,000 heads or so. Seems his followers were just as eager to get together for church in-person as he was last week.

We spoke with local Police Chief Roger Corcoran who tells us the actual numbers of attendees were closer to 330 for the morning and 188 for the night service ... still much larger than the suggested 10-person rule

As for what Pastor Spell is up to now ... he tells TMZ he's continuing to do the Lord's work by delivering food to the needy. On Tuesday, Tony and co. hopped aboard their church bus and went around town distributing free grub to different families and individuals.

Unclear if he's taking as much precaution as he should be while doing this ... we see gloves on, but no masks. But, maybe a good deed's a good deed -- even if it's done in close contact and with somewhat high risk.