Coronavirus

David Spade must be struggling, because he's apparently auditioning for the job of TMZ photog ... and he's so good he may get a callback!!!

David put his cellphone to questionable use Saturday, when he interviewed a squirrel about the pandemic. The critter was very tight-lipped -- probably because his mouth was filled with nuts. Nevertheless, David peppered it with questions ... some of them questionable.

Note to David ... it's okay to ask the squirrel about lockdowns, but asking the rodent to talk smack on Fauci -- well, that crosses the line.

David persists, but the squirrel isn't having it and scampers off into the field.

Light at the end of the tunnel!!! Maybe. Because there's now a plan to vaccinate like crazy and get this country back to something that resembles normal by May, 2021.

Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the chief scientific advisor to Operation Warp Speed, told Jake Tapper Sunday on CNN, the drug companies -- notably Pfizer and Moderna -- are ready to ship out millions of doses of their vaccines as early as December 11, the day after anticipated FDA approval.

Dr. Slaoui went on to say 20 million doses would be shipped out in December, and 30 million a month thereafter. When you do the math, by May ... around half the country would be vaccinated and the good Doc thinks that opens the door to a restoration of normal life.

The problem ... May could be the sunset month for the vaccine, since half the country seems opposed to getting the shot. Nonetheless, if the vaccines do indeed provide 95% protection from the virus -- and especially if you choose the people with whom you interact face-to-face based on their inoculation status ... there would be reason to feel relatively safe from COVID.

Two Oxford scientists have skewered Facebook, claiming the company is engaged in anti-democratic censorship by flagging their article on mask-wearing "false information."

Professor Carl Heneghan and Dr. Tom Jefferson authored a paper called, "Landmark Danish Study Shows Face Masks Have No Significant Effect." They based the article on a study done in Denmark in which 6,000 folks were divided into 2 groups -- half wearing masks outside their homes and half not wearing masks. According to the study, the infection rate for mask-wearers was 1.8%. The rate for those who didn't wear masks was 2.1%.

The study called the results "inconclusive," but the 2 Oxford doctors went further, saying, " ... it seems that any effect masks have on preventing the spread of the disease in the community is small." That was enough for Facebook to step in and call BS, slapping a warning on the article and adding that it was "checked by independent fact-checkers."

Professor Heneghan railed on Facebook, saying, "I'm aware this is happening to others -- what has happened to academic freedom and freedom of speech. There is nothing in this article that is 'false.'"

Dr. Jefferson told the Daily Mail, "It is censorship and it is one of the reasons we face a global meltdown of free thinking and science."

On the scientific front, the study did not address what appears to be an indisputable fact ... that masks do reduce the spread of COVID-laced droplets and that's just common sense ... if someone who is infected wears a mask it's harder for the droplets to escape into the air.

A large group of biz owners in Erie County, NY called the local authorities' bluff when they tried shutting down their get-together ... and sent Johnny Law packing.

This went down Friday night at a CrossFit gym called Athletes Unleashed in Orchard Park -- not too far away from Buffalo -- where upwards of 100 local businessmen and women congregated to discuss how to navigate the state's new COVID-19 guidelines ... which again are limiting hours, customers and access in NY.

While these folks were having their meeting -- with most people not wearing masks -- Erie County Sheriff's Deputies and Health Dept. officials made their way inside and attempted to disperse the crowd ... saying they were in violation of Gov. Cuomo's new 10-person-or-less rule for public gatherings.

What happened next is nothing short of shocking ... the crowd actually stood their ground and demanded the cops and county workers beat it -- which they did.

They were chased off in dramatic fashion, with the angry mob chanting "Get out!" and "We will not comply!" as they followed the Sheriff's deputies and others out into the parking lot and all the way back to their vehicles ... like dogs with their tail between their legs. It's cringe-worthy to see -- the cops pretty much folded.

Jeremih is gonna be alright -- at least that's what his family is signaling after revealing he's out of the ICU and on his way to recovering after coming down with COVID-19.

The R&B singer's family tells TMZ ... Jeremih has been transferred out of the ICU he was being treated at last week and is now going to spend the rest of his recovery in a regular hospital setting, where the "true healing" is set to begin.

We're also told the fam thanks everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this health scare -- there was no shortage of people sending good vibes his way ... including a ton of artists he's collaborated with over the years, like 50 Cent and others.

The update is fantastic news, as it appeared Jeremih's health was going downhill and fast last weekend, when we learned he was on a ventilator after having been admitted for intensive care. The prognosis sounded quite grim, but now ... it's almost like a 180.

It's unclear if Jeremih still has the virus -- or how long he's even had it ... but the fact he's being treated normally now seems to mean the guy will be okay after all.

Anyone looking to get schooled in sarcasm, irony or satire ... check out Brian Williams going full Jonathan Swift on President Trump's COVID response, and Geraldo's praise for the Prez.

The MSNBC anchor ended his broadcast Friday night by mocking Geraldo Rivera over-praising Trump's handling of the virus on 'FOX & Friends' ... which Brian then proceeded to piggy-back on and take it to a whole new level of ass-kissing.

If you take BW at his word here, it sounds like he's completely on Trump's side -- but, as his remarks go on ... it becomes clear he's doing nothing but making fun of the Prez, because everything he's saying isn't true. Watch for yourself, it's a riot.

Brian says it's possible we aren't giving Trump enough credit for his FDR-like commitment to eradicating the virus and the relief efforts he's fast-tracked to help people struggling. He also asks where would we be without Trump's constant lecturing to the American people that masks are crucial and must be worn.

Then comes the full farce ... Brian goes on to compare what Trump Steaks did for the hungry, what Trump Water did the for thirsty, and what Trump University did for the uneducated -- comparing all that to what Trump did here with 'rona.

It's not exactly following President Trump's musings about drinking bleach, but it's in the ballpark ... 7 people are dead after drinking hand sanitizer ... because they ran out of booze.

It happened in Russia, where 9 people were apparently partying, and when the alcohol ran dry, they pulled out an antidote for coronavirus. But, these folks weren't interested in cleaning their hands ... they wanted a swig or 2.

The victims ranged in age from 28 to 69. Two more victims are in the ICU, in a coma.

The Russian government warned its citizens not to drink the sanitizer, which is manufactured inside the country.

Myles Garrett will NOT play for the Browns on Sunday ... the team's superstar has been placed on the COVID-19/reserve list after he was sent home earlier this week with an illness.

Garrett reported he did not feel well on Wednesday and was ordered to go home just in case he had coronavirus.

While the team did not specifically say Garrett had tested positive ... the dots appeared to connect when Cleveland officials made the roster move announcement Friday.

"This morning the Cleveland Browns were informed that a player has tested positive for COVID-19," the team said in a statement. "Contact tracing has been conducted and the individual has self-isolated."

"He has not been in the facility all week and zero high-risk contacts have been identified."

The Browns are still scheduled to practice Friday for their upcoming game against the Philadelphia Eagles ... and it does not appear the matchup is in jeopardy of being canceled or postponed at the moment.

Obviously, though, losing Garrett will be a big blow ... the 24-year-old has been arguably the best defender in football this year, logging 9.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles.

Cleveland is no stranger to coronavirus this season ... star quarterback Baker Mayfield was placed on the reserve list during the team's bye week this month after he reportedly had contact with a COVID-positive Browns staffer.

The QB has since come off of the list, and played last week against the Texans. He's expected to start again Sunday against the Eagles.

Well, this seemed inevitable ... Donald Trump Jr. has contracted the coronavirus.

President Trump's son reportedly tested positive for the potentially deadly virus earlier this week and has been quarantining at a private location. According to Bloomberg, which first reported the news, DTJ is following all medically recommended COVID-19 guidelines.

The news comes just weeks after Jr. was seen without a mask at a Trump rally in Georgia. The vast majority of people who attended that rally were also not wearing masks. He's the latest in a long line of Trump family members to get infected with the 'rona. As you very well know by now ... POTUS also was infected as was the First Lady Melania Trump and her son, Barron. DTJ's girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, also tested positive last month.

The Tampa Bay Raptors? For now, yes.

The Toronto Raptors announced Friday they will begin the 2020-21 NBA season playing their home games in Tampa ... hours after the Canadian government reportedly ruled they could not host home games up north.

The long story short ... due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian government didn't want teams flying in from the U.S. and possibly spreading the virus.

The U.S. is still considered a coronavirus hotbed -- with more than 11.8 million cases compared to just 315k in Canada.

Raptors president Masai Ujiri says the team had "productive" conversations with govt. officials in the hopes of keeping the team in Canada -- but with the season set to kick off on Dec. 22, Toronto decided it was better to start the season in Tampa and figure things out from there.

"Ultimately, the current public health situation facing Canadians, combined with the urgent need to determine where we will play means that we will begin our 2020-21 season in Tampa, Florida," Ujiri said.

Ujiri says the team is committed to planning a safe return to Toronto -- "and as an organization, we remain committed to doing all we can to promote and demonstrate public health measures to help combat the spread of COVID-19 in Canada."

"So we'll be away from our home and our fans for now. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. I'm not sure that's possible for us -- we love Toronto and Canada, and we know we have the best fans in the NBA."

Santa Claus is coming to town, but don't worry kids ... there's no coronavirus in his sack of goodies -- Dr. Anthony Fauci says the jolly guy is immune to COVID!!!!

The good doc is coming through with a dash of good news ahead of Christmas, telling USA Today Santa has "innate immunity" from COVID-19.

You might think Santa would be at a higher risk for COVID because he's pretty old and overweight ... but Fauci's giving him the all-clear to travel the globe in the pandemic.

So, put out those cookies and a warm glass of milk ... Fauci says "Santa is not going to be spreading infections to anybody." No word if those reindeer have herd immunity ... but ya gotta imagine.

Rachel Maddow now has a scary firsthand experience with COVID-19, and after seeing her longtime partner fight for her life for weeks ... she's warning Americans to take the virus more seriously.

The MSNBC host returned to her show Thursday night after a 2-week hiatus and revealed her partner of 21 years, Susan Mikula, has been battling the virus and revealed things got so bleak they thought she might die.

Maddow announced on November 6 she was taking a break from the show after coming in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. It wasn't until Thursday she revealed that person was Susan.

One of the worst parts about the scary ordeal ... Maddow trying to take care of the "center of her life" while being apart from her. She said when they were first separated things were getting worse and Susan was getting "sicker and sicker." Fortunately, Maddow says it appears the worst is behind them ... and Susan will likely recover.

During the emotional broadcast from home ... Maddow, who so far has tested negative for the virus, implored viewers to not downplay the severity of the coronavirus as it resurges across the country days before a major holiday.

University of Miami head football coach Manny Diaz says he's been diagnosed with COVID -- the latest in a wave of positive tests to hit the team.

"I have tested positive for COVID-19," the 46-year-old said Friday morning.

"I am currently in isolation and feeling good overall. I will continue to work with our team virtually as we prepare for our next game at Wake Forest."

The Hurricanes have been hit hard by COVID -- starting back in October when 8 players weren't available for the Oct. 24 game against Virginia.

Leaving 11 players unavailable for the Nov. 6 game against North Carolina State -- and then it grew again to 13 this past weekend against Virginia Tech.

On Monday, University of Miami officials announced a 2-week stoppage -- meaning the team would resume its season on Dec. 5, against Wake Forest.

But, WF has its own COVID problems which led to the school canceling this weekend's game against Duke.

Andy Dalton's been cleared to play football again after contracting coronavirus ... but he says his nose and mouth still ain't ready to smell or taste things just yet.

The Dallas Cowboys QB -- who was diagnosed with COVID-19 at least 2 weeks ago -- told reporters Thursday despite testing negative now, his sense of smell and taste are still being affected by the virus.

"You can tell things are sweet," the 33-year-old said. "You can tell things are salty. You just don't get the flavor with it."

Dalton, trying to make light of it all, said it's actually helping his diet ... "I can eat really healthy right now, and it doesn't matter because I can't taste it."

Dalton told reporters the whole thing was actually pretty scary ... he says the virus hit him HARD the first day -- AND his wife and kids ended up coming down with it as well.

Andy, though, says everyone is now on the mend.

"Been a crazy three weeks," said Dalton, who had to recover from a concussion at the same time as his COVID diagnosis, "but excited to be on the other side of it."

A Tyson Foods plant in Iowa had no regard for coronavirus safety, and managers even wagered on how many employees would get the virus ... according to a lawsuit filed by a deceased worker's son.

Oscar Fernandez is suing the food giant and several high-ranking officials, claiming his dad, Isidro -- who died April 26 -- was infected with COVID-19 along with 1,000 other employees because the Waterloo facility did not take proper precautions.

Fernandez claims Tyson required employees to work long hours in cramped conditions despite a coronavirus outbreak, failed to provide sufficient PPE and did not implement proper social distancing measures.

Most shockingly, according to the suit ... the Waterloo plant manager organized a cash buy-in, winner-take-all betting pool for supervisors and managers to bet on how many employees would test positive for the virus.

Fernandez repeatedly claims high-ranking Tyson officials pressured workers to keep working no matter what -- and even lobbied government officials to help keep the plant open -- despite 2 dozen employees being admitted to the emergency room in April and the plant temporarily shutting down.

Tyson is being sued for fraudulent misrepresentations, gross negligence and wanton disregard for worker safety.

The company has denied many of the allegations, although their comments have not specifically addressed the alleged betting pool.

Tyson says ... "We're saddened by the loss of any Tyson team member and sympathize with their families. Our top priority is the health and safety of our workers and we've implemented a host of protective measures at Waterloo and our other facilities that meet or exceed CDC and OSHA guidance for preventing Covid-19."

A guy who wanted to chow down at an IHOP without a face covering wouldn't take "no mask, no service" for an answer -- because cops say he went to town on the staff with a knife.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... this wild incident went down Tuesday in Queens where surveillance video captured the horrifying scene. At first, you see the customer in the waiting area with another guy -- although, we're told there were at least 3 men who rolled in together.

Looks like a staffer's telling him to mask up, which seems to piss him off. He gets up to argue, and appears to leave the building -- but when the whole crew comes back, he's way more agitated.

The video shows the guy who allegedly refused to put on a mask storm back into the IHOP and charge past a table and other waiting customers ... apparently trying to get at someone off-camera.

While trying to get a hold of that person, the guy reaches over and grabs something from his friend -- cops say it was a knife -- and then chases some workers through the restaurant. Toward the end of the video, he actually swings at someone before booking it.

According to our sources, the man swung at a 40-year-old female employee and cut her arm, which required stitches.