Coronavirus

Cuba Gooding Jr. is doing his part to lift the spirits of the brave women fighting COVID-19 on the frontlines ... with an uplifting song and tale of his own perseverance.

The "Jerry Maguire" star serenaded the nurses at 2 of the biggest medical facilities in Anaheim, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Orange County ... singing a song he learned as a youngster in church.

Cuba ditched his mask to sing and tell an inspiring story of his own trials and tribulations in the Anaheim area ... recalling the time he was so down on his luck he was homeless and living in a shelter.

The actor says the community in Anaheim and nearby Tustin rallied around him when he was struggling ... and he says the good folks in Orange County will always have the nurse's backs.

Even Wolfgang Puck is not immune to the devastating toll the pandemic is taking on the restaurant biz -- his D.C. eatery is closing for good after 13 years.

The Source By Wolfgang Puck is reportedly closing permanently due to financial challenges brought on by the novel coronavirus. It's an unceremonious end to the modern Asian restaurant that served as the celebrity chef's first foray into the nation's capital.

The Source dished out meals to tourists and locals from its location underneath the Newseum. Their hot pots and izakaya also attracted a power crowd of celebs and politicians.

The restaurant was forced to furlough workers back in March, when the district banned dine-in service to limit the spread of COVID-19. Now, the landlord says there is no path to a successful return under new coronavirus restrictions.

The closure could be a bad omen for other popular restaurants across the country ... especially those in high rent locations. If the pandemic can force one of the world's most famous chefs to shutter his doors, no restaurateur should feel safe.

Don't stick a fork in Wolfgang's D.C. game just yet -- his high-end steakhouse in Georgetown, CUT, is looking forward to fully reopening.

Restaurants are desperately trying to stay afloat during the pandemic ... and that means customers bucking up -- so, welcome to the age of COVID surcharges.

Por ejemplo ... Goog's Pub & Grub in Holland, Michigan recently started implementing its own COVID "tax" of sorts. Owner Brad White tells TMZ ... he's had to add the charge to cover skyrocketing prices for food and restaurant supplies.

White says his joint added an extra 86 cents to all bills to factor in to-go bags, silverware, condiments and styrofoam containers since, at this moment, restaurants in Michigan are limited to delivery and take-out only.

White says the popular burger joint usually pumps out 1,500 burgers a week and before the pandemic hit hard they were paying $50 for a case of beef. The price is now a whopping $96 per case. COVID cases hitting meat factories hard across the country contributed to that.

The public seems to get why the surcharge -- first reported by FOX17 -- is necessary. White says most people understand it's necessary to help the restaurant level off costs, but he adds some have accused him of trying to exploit the pandemic to rip off customers.

He says, "That's the furthest thing from the truth" -- and points out he's also had to downsize from 35 employees to 16. He's trying to help out his remaining staff by raising their hourly wage from $6 to $10. Point is, they're scraping by like millions across the country.

He's not on an island, mind you -- lots restaurants, including some in California and Missouri, have also added surcharges.

The hope, White says, his hope is to eliminate the COVID "tax" when things get back to normal ... or as normal as things can get these days.

Starting at middle linebacker for the West Virginia Mountaineers .... 76-year-old university president E. Gordon Gee!!!

The WVU president is adamant fans WILL have college football this season ... even if it means he's gotta take the field himself.

"We are gonna play football in the fall, I really do believe that," Gee told WOWK 13 in WV.

"Even if I have to suit up and I got my ankles taped, I'm ready to go in."

Of course -- or at least we HOPE -- Gee is joking about playing (after all, the NCAA would throw a fit) ... but the prez gets real about the possibility of teams taking the field in a few months, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I think, again, with everything ... we're going to do it -- based upon what is safe, what is healthy for our fans, what is healthy for our student-athletes but I do believe that we will play football."

It's an optimistic perspective ... but it's not a totally popular one. Remember, Kirk Herbstreit said he'd be SHOCKED if there was any college or NFL action in 2020 ... and he's not alone.

The deadly pandemic is doing nothing to shut down the unsafe, breeding grounds for disease that are wet markets ... they're still operating all across Asia, and in the U.S. for that matter.

This shocking new footage from PETA was shot at blood-soaked wet markets in China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines and Thailand ... and it shows the filthy conditions where live dogs, bats, monkeys, snakes, civets, birds, cats, rabbits, ducks and chickens are bought and sold.

As you can see ... a wet market in Indonesia keeps bats, civets, monkeys, birds, rabbits and cats in cages covered with layers of feces and rotten food. One rabbit even convulses and dies right in front of the camera.

Bats have been linked to COVID-19 -- some scientists say the animals are at the center of the outbreak -- and civets have been linked to SARS.

In Thailand, ducks and chickens are crammed into cages wing-to-wing ... and in the Philippines, wet market workers casually wear sandals as they walk across blood-soaked floors to slice up pigs and birds with their bare hands.

Meanwhile, in Vietnam, a counter near living animals is stacked high with the cooked dog heads and other body parts of the poor pooches.

One image is constant across these Asian wet markets ... the floors are covered with blood, guts and water.

It's not just an issue in Asia ... as we've reported, wet markets also exist here in New York, California and Texas.

PETA is using this shocking new footage to call upon the World Health Organization to urge the shutdown of live-animal markets across the globe, including those still operating here in the States.

Four of the biggest names in pro golf are gearing up for a 2-on-2 skins game in Florida this weekend ... and IT WILL AIR ON LIVE TV!!

YES, PRO GOLF IS BACK ... SORTA!!!

Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson will take on Rickie Fowler and Matt Wolff on Sunday at the legendary Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach ... with all of the winnings going to charity.

Of course, with the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing, there will be social distancing protocols in place ... no caddies and no carts!

The event, called the "TaylorMade Driving Relief" competition -- airing on NBC and The Golf Channel -- will follow the classic "Skins" format.

In other words, each hole is played separately -- with a cash prize for each hole. If there is a tie on a hole, the "skin" is carried over to the next one (and the next and the next and so on) until someone wins.

The first 6 holes will be worth $50,000 each. The next 10 holes will be worth $100,000, the 17th hole will be worth $200,000, and the final hole will be worth $500,000.

Each team will also begin with $500,000.

McIlroy and Johnson will play for the American Nurses Foundation, and Fowler and Wolff will play for the CDC Foundation, according to Golf.com.

Good luck!!

Channing Tatum needed to get tested for COVID-19 after his 40th birthday to make sure he was in good health and eliminate any risk of spreading it to his ex-wife, Jenna Dewan, and their daughter.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Channing recently volunteered to get tested for COVID-19 after his ex-wife, Jenna Dewan, raised some concerns about him possibly being exposed -- this following a little birthday get-together he hosted in late April.

Some context ... Channing had turned 40 on April 26, and he and five of his closest buddies -- whom we're told were all safely quarantining on their own before rolling through -- hung out for his 40th to do a little dirt biking at his personal ranch. No harm, no foul, right?

Welp, not exactly ... we're told Jenna caught wind and expressed concerns Channing could've been exposed and put their daughter, Everly -- who goes back and forth between mom and dad -- as well as for Jenna herself, at risk. Jenna's also got a new baby at home.

We're told Channing understood the concern and decided to get tested on his own. After a few days of waiting for results -- during which Everly stayed a few extra days with Jenna -- Channing got an answer ... negative.

Our sources say since then, Channing has made up the time he lost ... and the former couple are back on their regular custody schedule, and everything's going off without a hitch. Now, that's how you successfully co-parent!

A three Michelin star restaurant in Virginia has come up with one helluva model to provide social distancing while also helping you avoid that lonely feeling.

The Inn at Little Washington -- about 70 miles outside Washington, D.C. -- is gonna deploy mannequins to fill in the joint. It won't be weird or anything though for customers ... 'cause they're life-size mannequins. Think of it as dining with a really boring friend.

Oh, but the mannequins will be decked out in 1940s era clothing to recreate America's post-World War II celebrations. Ok, that's a little weird.

The move from chef Patrick O'Connell comes after a mandate to cap restaurant capacity at 50% in an effort to keep diners properly social distanced -- but appearances clearly matter to O'Connell.

He's been working with Shirlington's Signature Theater to get the mannequins. And, get this ... when the restaurant opens on May 29 servers will be instructed to pour the mannequins wine and ask them about their evening ... according to the Washingtonian.

So, why the stunt? O'Connell told the outlet, "I think it would do people a world of good to reduce their anxiety level when they come out to a place which is still unaffected, because if you watch your television, you think that there isn't such a place under a bubble."

BTW, the chef has also created custom-made masks with Marilyn Monroe smiles and George Washington chins. The move perhaps shouldn't come as a surprise. For starters, O'Connell reportedly majored in drama in college.

The restaurant also boasts that dining at its joint "has been likened to a performance with the guest always playing the star role."

The company's a little stiff, but ya get a good show! Life's about compromises.

The guy who went from killing kittens to killing people in 'Don't F**k With Cats' will NOT get an early release due to coronavirus.

Reports surfaced over the weekend Luka Magnotta's prison -- a maximum security facility in Quebec -- has seen a couple dozen confirmed cases of COVID-19 within its tightly-confined walls, and that LM could get sprung as a result.

Welp, there's literally no chance of that happening for the convicted murderer, as it turns out. The Correctional Service of Canada -- which oversees all prisons -- tells TMZ ... the guy isn't gonna taste freedom for another 14 years.

Pandemic or not. Period!

The agency made no bones about it, telling us ... "Mr. Magnotta is not eligible, under law, for any form of parole" until June 4, 2034. As for COVID cases in Luka's prison -- they say they've had 15 positive tests there from inmates, but 11 have fully recovered and they've had zero deaths. 15 employees who work at the prison have also tested positive for COVID.

CSC says it's only looking to possibly release low-level offenders who wouldn't necessarily pose a risk to the public if they're granted supervised home arrest. That ain't Luka, obviously ... the guy was convicted of killing and dismembering international student Jun Lin, after an international manhunt.

So yeah ... whether he has COVID-19, is at risk of getting it or anything related, it doesn't matter. Luka's staying locked up -- case closed.

Captain Sandy says people shouldn't be afraid of taking cruises or chartering yachts in the age of COVID-19 ... because she thinks a trip to the grocery store is just as risky.

The "Below Deck" sea captain tells TMZ ... life isn't worth living in fear, so if you've got no problems making essential trips to the supermarket you shouldn't be worried about getting back onboard a cruise ship or yacht.

Sandy says people should be smart about their next cruise and take the proper precautions to guard against COVID-19 ... but she says the fear of being infected shouldn't keep us stranded on land.

The way Sandy sees it ... cruises and yachts are following the same protocols as other businesses in the fight against the deadly and contagious virus, so there's no need to cower in fear and avoid an ocean vacay.

She might have her head just a bit in the sand -- the reality is some of the biggest cruise lines in the world are worried about weathering the COVID-19 storm. Yes, they're taking new precautions, but it remains to be seen if travelers feel safe enough to return.

Sandy also thinks it's full steam ahead for the next season of "Below Deck" ... she thinks they'll be able to shoot like normal in September and October -- but that's only because she's extremely optimistic about one key thing.

A bit too optimistic ... at least according to peeps like Dr. Anthony Fauci.