Coronavirus

COVID-19 can't stop Los Angeles from partying before Super Bowl LVI ... 'cause several event planners tell TMZ Sports the show will go on -- with precautions, of course.

As COVID-19 cases surge throughout the country, many questions have been raised about whether the traditional bashes leading up to the big game will go on as scheduled.

We've learned at least three of the biggest parties will continue as planned -- including the event put on by sports agent Leigh Steinberg -- AKA the real Jerry Maguire -- at Sony Studios.

We're told Steinberg's invite-only bash will be filled with celebs and current/former players -- featuring tons of food and drink ... as well as a cool brain lounge with insane technology, a silent auction and more.

FYI -- Sony can host up to 5,000 people, but we're told the event will only be about half capacity ... and all guests must be vaxxed or have a negative test within 48 hours of arrival.

"It is 90% outdoor," LeeAnn Adams, the VP of Special Projects for Leigh Steinberg Entertainment, tells us.

"We only have one indoor space where our brain lounge is because we have very valuable equipment in there."

"We're as COVID-safe as possible and indoors, obviously, you have to wear a mask. You're in Los Angeles and it is mandated."

Hall of Famer Terrell Davis and Babes and Ballers will be hosting their own SB bash as well ... with rapper Lil Jon and the Los Angeles Rams cheerleaders set to attend at the Academy Hall.

Davis' shindig will also follow Los Angeles' COVID-19 protocols -- in fact, they're adding extra hand sanitizer stations at the venue ... as they're expecting 1,200 guests.

"The club has some already fixed to the wall," Steve Fowler of Babes and Ballers said. "But we'll have a couple more at every entrance, bathroom, VIP room and patio."

For NAAB Radio's event, the station is anticipating 500 party-goers at the Taglyan Complex ... and will also stick to the city's guidelines.

"We plan to follow all CDC protocols and to have our guests show proof of vaccinations/test results while having a memorable Super Bowl 2022 Party," NAAB Radio co-founder Denise Darrell tells us.

Now that the safety concerns are out of the way ... it's time to party.

Novak Djokovic's participation in this year's Australian Open is in jeopardy once again ... officials have canceled his visa for a second time, and he's now facing deportation.

Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke made the ruling early Friday morning ... revoking the 34-year-old's visa just days after a judge had allowed the tennis star to go free in the country.

In announcing his decision, Hawke explained pulling Djokovic was in the best for "public interest" ... due to the athlete's COVID-19 vaccination status and controversial claims to a vaccine exemption.

"In making this decision, I carefully considered information provided to me by the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Border Force and Mr. Djokovic," Hawke said.

"The Morrison Government is firmly committed to protecting Australia's borders, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic."

Djokovic has already started the process of an appeal -- and it's possible he could play in the opening round of the Australian Open on Monday while the arguments play out in court.

Australia's Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, meanwhile, backed Hawke's decision Friday ... writing in a statement, "Australians have made many sacrifices during this pandemic, and they rightly expect the result of those sacrifices to be protected."

"This is what the Minister is doing in taking this action today."

If ultimately deported, Djokovic could face a 3-year ban from the country.

Hollywood execs and celebs who were planning to attend this year's Sundance Film Festival are in for a rude awakening ... because the event was canceled just days beforehand and now they stand to lose a boatload of cash.

This year's Sundance was scheduled for Jan 20-30 as a hybrid event with both in-person and online events ... it was expected to bring out filmgoers from around the U.S., volunteers and, of course, celebs and Hollywood honchos.

Well, that was until the festival was canceled only 15 days before the curtain was raised, due to the explosion of COVID. We're told hotels and Airbnb jacked up the prices like crazy -- $3k and up for some rooms and suites -- and now we're told a lot of them are not giving refunds.

Likewise ... Sundance organizers are not offering refunds to folks who paid to attend in person. Instead, attendees can either gift their packages to someone else or turn the money spent into a tax-deductible donation to the Sundance Institute.

Back to the hotels ... one example is Auberge Resorts Collection, which was charging $3,798 per night for some of the suites ... and guess what, it's non-refundable. The hotel is telling guests to come anyway and enjoy the skiing, or just reschedule.

When COVID strikes this way, a lot depends on what's in the contract.  If there's an "Act of God" clause, although it's not clear there have been successful arguments that money should be returned.

Novak Djokovic is navigating waters that have gone from warm to boiling, because the tennis star admitted he knew he had COVID when he posed for a photo shoot and chatted with a reporter from a French magazine.

Beyond that ... Djokovic attended multiple public events and posed for photos on December 16 and 17 -- in particular the 17th, when he handed out awards at a children's event -- but he says that shouldn't be held against him, because he got a negative rapid test on the 16th.

However, he also took a PCR test that same day that turned out to be positive. The Serbian government's records show that result came back at 8:19 PM on the same day -- but Novak insists he didn't get the info until the evening of the 17th.

So, the question is ... what did he know and when???

Whatever the case, he still did the photo shoot with L'Equipe magazine in Belgrade on the 18th when he knew he was positive.

He says, aside from the actual shoot, he was socially distanced from the reporter and photographer and masked. Djokovic now says he made a mistake and should have canceled.

He also acknowledges his visa application was incorrect ... he says his agent checked the wrong box, declaring Novak had not traveled internationally, which he very clearly did.

Djokovic, the number 1 seed in the Australian Open, was allowed into the country after the tournament granted him a medical exemption ... because he had just gotten over COVID and had antibodies, that apparently qualified.

Howard Stern is unloading on Novak Djokovic over his COVID-19 vaccine drama ... calling the tennis superstar a "d****bag," "f***ing a**hole," and a "f***nut" in a fiery rant.

34-year-old Djokovic has been fighting like hell to compete in the Australian Open this month despite the country's strict COVID-19 mandates -- he initially had his visa canceled after authorities claimed he did not meet requirements for a vaccine exemption ... before that decision was overturned on Monday.

Stern -- who's gone after sports stars like Kyrie Irving and Aaron Rodgers for their vax stances in the past -- sounded off on the Joker during Monday's episode of "The Howard Stern Show" ... saying Novak should be kicked out of the sport.

"The first I heard of this guy is he doesn't want to get the vaccine, he's running around ... they should throw him right the f*** out of tennis," Stern said.

"He's a d****bag."

But, what really set Howard off is Novak's claim that getting the jab is a private decision ... saying if that's the case, he shouldn't be out in the public and putting everyone else's health at risk.

Howard's co-host, Robin, points out Novak's view on the situation -- his people have claimed since he recently had COVID-19, he doesn't have to get vaccinated, but Stern says Novak can't be trusted.

"Well that's like saying smoking is a private decision," he added. "Well, that's true, but don't smoke in my face, f***nut. What a dummy. Just a big, dumb tennis player."

Djokovic -- the reigning AO champ -- is currently preparing to compete in the tournament next week ... although it's still unclear whether he'll actually be able to take the court ... as government officials could still boot him from the country.

It's been four days since Aaron Rodgers was accused of planning a Super Bowl boycott, but he's STILL pissed over the report -- calling it "the dumbest s*** I've ever heard."

Rodgers initially blasted the Boomer Esiason report as the "dumbest f***ing story ever" last week ... but he took his criticism a step further when he was asked about it again on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday.

"What if we just say he's going to boycott the Super Bowl?" Rodgers said. "I mean, how f***ing stupid is that. It's about as dumb as you can possibly imagine."

If you missed it, Esiason -- a former NFL star who's now an analyst and WFAN radio show host -- said last Friday that he's heard from a trusted source that Rodgers has nefarious plans for SB week if Green Bay makes it there.

Esiason said someone close to Rodgers told him the three-time MVP was planning to threaten to hold out of the Big Game if the NFL didn't change some of its COVID rules.

Esiason said the source even told him that Rodgers had informed backup QB Jordan Love to get ready to play in his stead.

"I mean, it's the dumbest s*** I've ever heard," Rodgers said. "Come on, now. That's just ridiculous."

Rodgers said he never reached out to Esiason to see who the source was.

Novak Djokovic is making sure he's ready for next week's Australian Open despite uncertainty he'll be allowed to remain in the country -- hitting practice courts hard Down Under on Tuesday.

The tennis superstar was spotted getting in a lengthy workout at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne ... hitting balls and sweating just six days away from the start of the big tournament.

Of course, Djokovic needs all the practice he can get ... considering he was cooped up in a hotel for nearly a week after Australian authorities tried to bar him from entering the country.

Djokovic and law enforcement feuded over his COVID-19 vaccination exemption status ... but after the 34-year-old won a key appeal on Monday, he was let into the country so he can gear up for The Open.

And, by the looks of things, Djokovic seems to be ready to defend his title. In the photos, Novak appears to be in good shape.

Djokovic is still not 100 percent certain about his status for the event ... Australian authorities are still exploring the possibility of canceling his visa a second time -- which could lead to a three-year ban from the country for the tennis player.

Bob Saget's recent bout with COVID-19 was fresh on his mind not too long before he died ... this according to the late comedian himself.

BS appeared on a podcast called "A Corporate Time with Tom & Dan" just last week and revealed he had already caught the 'rona. He wasn't specific about exactly when, but it sounded kinda recent, considering he was humorously debating whether he had omicron or delta.

Check it out ... Bob describes the virus as "not good," and cracks some jokes about which strain he might've had. He also explained what it was like performing comedy during the pandemic, saying audiences would often be dwindled down by at least half.

Eerily, he also jokingly said he might die from COVID.

Another topic brought up here is Bob's friend, Norm Macdonald, who died last year from cancer. He said there's dignity in the way NM handled his diagnosis, keeping it secret from almost everyone he knew.

Bob actually sounded ill on the phone, which the hosts noted once he left the chat. It's not clear if he was still under the weather while on the road there in Florida -- this podcast was recorded just after the New Year.

We've reached out to Saget's reps for clarification on when he had COVID, but no word back yet.

Novak Djokovic has just been set free Down Under -- a judge ruled in his favor in his visa appeal case, clearing the way for the tennis star to compete in the Australian Open next week.

Djokovic had been in a quarantine hotel in Melbourne the last few nights ... after Australian government officials canceled his visa shortly after his arrival in the country last Wednesday.

Authorities argued Djokovic did not meet the proper requirements to be formally granted an exemption to Australia's strict COVID-19 vaccination rules.

Djokovic, though, argued he did meet all the criteria ... saying he had been infected with COVID last month and therefore did not need to be vaccinated.

At a visa appeal hearing in an Australian courtroom on Monday -- a judge overturned the government's decision, pointing out that the 34-year-old had received vaccine exemption status from Tennis Australia and two medical panels prior to his arrival.

"The point I’m somewhat agitated about is what more could this man have done?" the judge said in the courtroom.

The judge's decision now paves the way for Djokovic to compete in The Open, which begins on Jan. 17.

"I'm pleased and grateful that the Judge overturned my visa cancellation," Djokovic said in a statement on Twitter following the decision. "Despite all that has happened, I want to stay and try to compete @AustralianOpen."

"I remain focused on that. I flew here to play at one of the most important events we have in front of the amazing fans."

There could still be more hurdles for Djokovic to leap ... Australian authorities have suggested they could still cancel his visa once again.

If that does happen, and Djokovic is deported, he could be faced with a 3-year ban from the country.

It remains unclear what the likelihood of a second cancellation is.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez probably regrets heading down to Florida last week -- because she just caught a case of coronavirus a full 7 days later ... and is apparently hurting.

The New York congresswoman announced Sunday that she'd come down with 'rona, saying she's received a positive test result -- but not really saying when exactly. She says she IS experiencing symptoms ... and is now recovering at home.

Her office's statement notes AOC is double vaccinated, and that she received her booster shot in the fall. And for good measure, she encourages everyone to get vaccinated and to follow all CDC guidelines.

That last part is catching a little bit of backlash at the moment ... seeing how the Representative was just down in the Sunshine State for New Year's with her boyfriend, where she appeared to be mostly maskless ... while hobnobbing with kinda big crowds, which included the likes of Billy Porter, among others at a drag show brunch event.

Granted, a lot of the photos and video of her in Miami (sans a mask) are outside -- which, by traditional wisdom at this point, seems to help.

Still ... considering AOC has been a strong proponent of strict 'rona protocols, many found it interesting she'd fled to a state whose governor she's been critical of in his handling of COVID.

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez is far from the first member of Congress to contract COVID -- Sens. Warren and Booker also announced they'd tested positive not too long ago.

Two of the most prominent strains of COVID have reportedly fused together in what sounds like a science fiction flick gone wrong -- churning out a mutated baby called ... "Deltacron."

Leondios Kostrikis -- a professor of biological sciences at the University of Cyprus and head of the Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Virology there -- told local media this week that his team had discovered what they believe to be a new variant.

The way he describes it ... "omicron-like genetic signatures within the delta genomes," which essentially means there are traces of both strains within this new monstrosity.

Kostrikis says they've identified only 25 or so cases thus far in people, with a majority of them befalling folks who were hospitalized for COVID. Their findings are being sent to GISAID, which is the leading international database for all things 'rona, to be studied further.

While it might sound pretty scary, Kostrikis says we shouldn't freak just yet ... because he truly believes it's just a bug that'll probably fall to the wayside. He explains, "We will see in the future if this strain is more pathological or more contagious or if it will prevail," adding that he thinks regular omicron will displace it in the end.

A Canadian dude -- a government official, no less -- is getting dragged every which way for giving his wife a public "atta girl" for shoveling snow after putting in a hard day as a hospital frontline worker.

Jon Reyes, the Minister of Economic Development and Jobs in Manitoba, tweeted Saturday what he clearly thought was a sweet pic of his wife, Cynthia ... captioning it ... "Even after a 12 hour night shift at the hospital last night, my wife still has the energy to shovel the driveway. God bless her and all our frontliners. Time to make her some breakfast."

In one of the least surprising reactions so far this year, people went nuts ... curious as to why Jon didn't get out there with a shovel and at least help.

It gets worse ... you'd think maybe Jon also had a tough day, dealing with the economic ramifications in the current COVID crisis, but he tweeted earlier in the day he was watching tennis.

Now here's the amusing thing ... Canadians are so much more polite than Americans. Here's the way Jon got dragged ...

"She only did it because you didn’t do it in her absence. I’m sure she was right pissed rolling up to the house after a 12hr day seeing it was not done. Decided to rage shovel."

"What was wrong with your hands? Its the utter audacity for me? This whole tweet is ashy and dingy."

"And the reason *you* couldn't be bothered to shovel instead of taking a picture from your room and tweeting is what, exactly? She just worked 12 hours. What were you doing?"

Novak Djokovic's attorneys say Australian border officials screwed up when they denied the tennis star entry into the country ... claiming he had COVID-19 last month, meaning he didn't have to comply with the vaccine mandate.

Attorneys for the 34-year-old tennis superstar filed docs with an Australian court on Saturday, according to the NY Times, arguing officials went against the advice of their own immunization advisory group when they canceled Novak's visa, believing he received a bogus exemption allowing him to skirt Australia's strict vaccine mandate.

Djokovic's lawyers say Australian health officials previously suggested recent COVID infections could exempt travelers from needing the vaccine. Novak's lawyers say their client had COVID in mid-December ... and should've been granted entry.

In fact, the attorneys say border officials "radically and fundamentally" misapplied guidelines set forth by the immunization health officials.

FYI, it wasn't publicly known that Djokovic had COVID in December 2021. However, it was known he contracted the virus in June 2020.

Of course, the defending Australian Open champ had his visa canceled when he landed in Melbourne on Thursday. Novak opted to appeal the decision, so rather than instantly being deported, he was taken to a quarantine hotel run by government officials.

Novak's family says he's being held captive ... while Australian officials have insisted the #1 tennis player in the world can leave whenever he wants.

Even before Djokovic touched down in Melbourne, his impending arrival kicked off a raging debate in the country ... with many upset, believing the tennis star was going to get preferential treatment.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison even got involved ... vowing to investigate the medical exemption Djokovic received, in order to check its legitimacy.

Djokovic has a hearing on Monday ... where his fate will be determined. If the cancelation of the visa is upheld, Novak won't only have to worry about missing this year's tournament. He could be banned from entering Australia for several years.

Aaron Rodgers is going after yet another member of the media ... this time, he eviscerated a Boomer Esiason report that said he was planning to boycott the Super Bowl if the Packers make it.

"Dumbest f***ing story ever," Rodgers said.

Esiason -- a former NFL star who's now an analyst and WFAN radio show host -- went on his morning show Friday and said a trusted source told him Rodgers is planning something diabolical for SB week if Green Bay gets there.

On the show, Esiason had his co-host read a text in which he claims a source said Rodgers will "threaten the NFL by saying he won't play in the big game or next season if they don't eliminate some of the COVID-related rules."

Esiason claims the text went on to say ... "He's told Jordan Love to be ready ... Super Bowl week will be set on fire and send [Roger] Goodell in a frenzy navigating the situation."

Rodgers got word of the report a couple hours after it dropped -- and sent out a tweet with laughing emojis.

"#fakenews," he said. "#boycottfakenews."

Rodgers then played around with Packers' third-string QB Kurt Benkert over the report ... adding, "Were you just mad I only told @jordan3love to be ready and not you?? #grudge #boycottvideogames"

Dr. Peter Hotez says the key to getting the COVID pandemic under control is reducing the rise of variants in developing countries ... and his new vaccine could be just what doctors everywhere ordered.

The renowned vaccine expert joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" to tell us all about what could be a game-changing breakthrough -- his low-tech, low-cost vaccine, dubbed Corbevax.

Hotez, who's the Co-Director of Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, says the Delta and Omicron variants sprouted from unvaccinated populations in India and Africa ... and he says there will be more coming if people in developing nations don't get the shot. That's where his vaccine comes into play.

Corbevax is NOT an mRNA vaccine, and actually uses an older process he and his team started developing a decade ago. It's already been authorized in India, Bangladesh and Indonesia -- and because it's more affordable, he says they've cranked out more than 300 million doses!!!

Antonio Brown was quite the crowd-pleaser before his last game in a Buccaneers uniform ... smiling from ear to ear, taking selfies and even signing a fan's COVID-19 vaccine card!!

TMZ Sports is told ... AB was in the best of moods while chatting it up with fans in the front row at MetLife Stadium hours before his infamous shirtless exit from Sunday's game.

As one fan put it, "He was the most down-to-earth guy and couldn't have been nicer."

But while some spectators sought regular autographs, one fan went one step further and asked AB to sign his freakin' vax card -- and he obliged!!

Of course, the whole thing was a reference to AB's vax status scandal ... when his former chef accused him of getting a fake vax card. While AB swore up and down he was, in fact, vaccinated ... the NFL felt otherwise and handed him a 3-game suspension.

AB was clearly able to laugh it all off as the fan asked him to sign the card ... grinning and embracing the irony as he etched his John Hancock along the bottom.

On top of that, AB posed for pics with fans before the game ... and we're told he was generous to the entire section.

Unfortunately, things changed later on in the day ... as AB made his infamous exit by ripping his pads and jersey off and strolling into the locker room in the middle of the game.

The Bucs and AB have different stories behind what went down ... but he was ultimately released Thursday morning.