Coronavirus

Zelene Blancas, the teacher who touched the hearts of millions after posting a video of her students hugging each other, has died of COVID.

Zelene taught Spanish at the Dr. Sue A. Shook Elementary School in El Paso and was on a path to becoming a bilingual special ed teacher.

She gained national -- even worldwide -- attention back in 2018, after posting a video of students leaving for a weekend break. As they left, they hugged one and another in a showing of caring and love that produced 23 million views.

Zelene tested positive for coronavirus in late October and ended up in the hospital shortly after her diagnosis. She spent nearly 2 months in ICU and when things became financially desperate last month, her brother set up a GoFundMe account on her behalf.

She died Monday from COVID complications.

Her death affected much of El Paso. In addition to teaching, Zelene taught evening literacy classes to parents. During the pandemic, she delivered food and other items to the homes of some of her students.

Zelene was 35.

Michael Blackson has a very important reason why people should get the COVID vaccine ... he says it's better than getting the virus, which he claims left his penis limp.

We got the comedian doing some holiday shopping on Rodeo Drive in Bev Hills, and he told us he had COVID and it sucked, which is reason enough in his mind to do everything you can to protect against the virus.

Michael's encouraging folks to get vaccinated so they don't suffer his fate ... a bout with the 'rona and a "limp d***." It's the COVID symptom you don't hear much about, but surely don't want to experience.

If the low sex drive isn't enough to make you fear COVID's wrath and head straight for the vaccination line, consider this ... Michael says the virus also had him pooping himself.

Michael knows he won't be among the first to get the vaccine, but he tells us why he'll join Barack Obama and other celebs in promoting the shot.

You know things are bad when people in Canada start fighting cops and hurling the f-word.

The violent confrontation went down in Quebec on New Year's Eve, when cops were called to a home after neighbors complained there was a party raging inside, in violation of COVID guidelines.

Cops say the homeowner lied to them and claimed there were only 2 people inside the house. The noise inside told a different story, as well as the number of cars that were parked outside.

All hell breaks loose, as people inside the home start fighting the cops. The homeowner claimed cops used excessive force, and also tore into the P.D. because one cop was not wearing a mask. A spokesperson for the department says yeah, the cop wasn't wearing one because someone had just hit the guy on the head and his mask flew off.

Cops say it's highly likely everyone inside the home will get slapped with a big fine. The Dept. is also considering assault charges against some of the people inside.

Cops in Quebec City issued 46 tickets for public health violations.

When it comes to the coronavirus, what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas with COVID and all ... and that's why the New Year's Eve fireworks show is so troubling.

The city put on a typical fireworks display from The Plaza Hotel & Casino as the clock struck midnight in an untypical year, and spectators swarmed to watch and celebrate ringing in 2021.

Obviously ... not very safe with COVID-19 cases surging everywhere, and fireworks naturally draw crowds, so you have to wonder who made this decision.

Earlier on New Year's Eve, tens of thousands of people also thumbed their noses at the virus by walking the Strip like there's no pandemic ... despite Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak urging people to stay home.

It's all very strange, since Vegas did cancel other big parties and fireworks displays, even replacing one with an implosion of a huge 2020 sign.

Zara Holland, a “Love Island” star and Miss Great Britain 2015, could be facing time behind bars in Barbados, after allegedly trying to board a plane bound for England when her boyfriend tested positive for COVID.

The reality star and Elliott Love were reportedly trying to board the plane to avoid being taken to a quarantine facility.

They were tested 6 days ago upon their arrival to the island and ordered to self-quarantine until they got the results. The results came back and Love tested positive, according to The Sun. They were given red wristbands and the plan was for them to quarantine at a military base that is now used to isolate COVID-positive people.

They reportedly tried to jump the gun by cutting off their wristbands, calling a cab and hightailing it to the airport. Someone apparently found the wristbands and figured out what was up and called the cops. The couple was corralled at airport security and taken into custody. They're reportedly being held in the COVID-wing at a local hospital.

They could both face possible criminal charges if true, which includes the crime of endangering the lives of others. The crime carries a maximum sentence of 1 year in jail.

Zara's had her issues before. She lost her beauty crown after video aired on "Love Island" of her performing oral sex on another contestant.

There are certain traditions that persevere, even in COVID times, and one of them is jumping in freezing cold water on New Year's Day.

It went down per usual in the Isle of Man, where hundreds of folks said shrinkage be damned and jumped into water with temps below 50 degrees.

The tradition started back in covered wagon days ... 1983, where 4 dippers jumped in the icy water to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis.

Ever since then, there's been a growing number of dippers and more charities have been included in the mix.

This time around the folks ran into the water at Peel Beach, but there were new concerns -- COVID. Obviously, no masks and no real social distancing.

The island has handled the pandemic better than most. It went into total lockdown in March, and since June they have avoided massive outbreaks and the kids are back in school.

They've also closed their borders, to further protect the 85,000 residents.

2020's been a hell of a year -- mostly in the worst way imaginable -- but folks in L.A. swarmed to the beach to watch the last sunset of the year over the Pacific ... to say "GOOD RIDDANCE!!!"

Unusually large crowds descended on Venice Beach, applauding the sun setting on this miserable year ... one that's ravaged the entire world with COVID and destroyed lives in so many other ways.

Of course, here in the States, the country also went through one of its most contentious and divisive elections of all time ... following a summer of protests and unrest sparked by the killing of George Floyd and other unarmed black citizens.

Louis Gossett, Jr. can tell you how bad COVID is ... he has it, was hospitalized for it, but left because it's a s*** show inside.

Sources connected to the Oscar-winning actor tell TMZ ... the 84-year-old tested positive and was so sick he couldn't even stand. He was taken to a Georgia-area hospital, where he stayed for just a couple days before bolting. We're told he was put in an area with all the other COVID patients, and the wave of deaths freaked him out.

Hospital staff begged him to stay -- given his age and underlying conditions including cancer -- but Louis was determined to leave, and he did. He checked out Tuesday.

Louis -- best known his award-winning roles in "An Officer and a Gentleman" and on "Roots" -- tells TMZ and everyone else, "Please wear masks, social distance, isolate, pray and listen within. We cannot survive without one another."

Louis is now at home with his son ... and he is isolating.

Despite COVID-19 cases surging in Los Angeles, hospitals overrun and a rising death count, there's a sick group of people storming grocery stores without masks ... and it appears they are part of a group that is targeting stores to wreak havoc.

30-50 members of this group stampeded the Erewhon Market near The Grove shopping center a few days ago, demanding to be allowed to shop without their masks.

The anti-maskers were seen forcing their way in and harassing workers while flouting the city's face-covering safety guidelines. Some even tried to get the employees to join them ... encouraging them to remove their masks and "live their lives."

Their stupidity and recklessness cannot be overstated ... they are screaming, defying and pulling penal code sections out of their asses, none of which makes any sense. Watch how they confront cops ... the police exercise remarkable restraint.

They took their stampede to other stores in the area, including a Trader Joe's.

The demonstration seems to be linked to a Facebook group that describes itself like this -- "So here we are, shopping around LA maskless, witnessing the unraveling of hijacked minds right before our very eyes."

Other posts on the group's page include members at various locations around L.A. in recent weeks -- including a post office, a Ralphs and a Lassens store -- boasting about shopping maskless and attempting to get others to take off their masks as well.

It's all disturbingly similar to other anti-mask demonstrations across the country in recent months, including a march at a Target in Florida in September.

These stampeders claim they're protesting freedoms being taken away, but there's also a healthy dose of COVID-denial and outright stupidity in the mix.

Men trying to cope with mental health issues need a place to go for support -- especially during the pandemic -- and Addison Brasil's building an online community of men who get it ... the struggle is real.

The actor's cofounded an app called Tethr, with a goal of combatting the idea that men who suffer from anxiety and depression are less masculine -- a stigma that keeps them from seeking help.

According to Addison, Tethr is welcoming because it's a peer-to-peer community of dudes who are already comfortable opening up ... so it's easy to find common ground.

On "TMZ Live" Thursday, he pointed out 3 out of 4 guys admitted to feeling stressed, anxious or depressed ... and that was BEFORE the coronavirus. So, having an outlet to seek guidance or simply vent is more crucial than ever now.

Dawn Wells, who became a megastar by playing the sexy Mary Ann on "Gilligan's Island" has died.

Her rep says Dawn died from COVID Wednesday.

Wells was one of 2 surviving members of the cast ... Tina Louise, who played Ginger on the show, is now the sole surviving cast member.

The show only ran 3 years -- from 1964-1967, but it became a cultural phenomenon. The premise -- Gilligan, the skipper et al hopped on a boat for a 3-hour tour -- A THREE HOUR TOUR -- and it became shipwrecked on a deserted island. The show was all about the hijinks of survival and the interaction with the hilarious characters, including Professor Roy and a very rich couple, Lovey and Thurston Howell III.

After 'Gilligan's' Dawn appeared in various TV shows, including "The Wild Wild West" and "Bonanza." In all, she appeared in more than 60 series ... and also appeared on Broadway and in movies.

Dawn's show biz career actually began with beauty pageants ... she was crowned Miss Nevada in the 1959 Miss America pageant.

She established an institute for up-and-coming filmmakers in Idaho ... it's called the Spud Film Institute.

There was actually a big debate among fans of 'Gilligan's' during the run of the show -- namely, who's sexier -- the wholesome Mary Ann or the sultry movie star, Ginger.

Dawn was married once in the '60s to Larry Rosen. They divorced after 5 years.

Dawn was 82.

Lil Pump still doesn't buy there's a pandemic and still refuses to wear a face mask -- but after JetBlue banned him, he's still flying commercial. What could go wrong?

Pump was at LAX Tuesday night getting ready to board a flight. Interestingly, he hopped out of a van without a mask ... which, of course, is mandatory at at LAX as COVID-19 cases surge in L.A., the new epicenter of the pandemic.

A photog immediately asked him if he's still gonna go maskless ... after the JetBlue incident. You'll recall, Pump got banned upon landing in L.A. because the airline says he gave crew members a hard time and refused to put on a mask during the flight.

Well, the rapper was flying Delta this time ... but watch the video, it doesn't seem like it's gonna go much better. Pump flat out says he doesn't even believe COVID-19 is a real thing -- and although he did pull up a covering over his face as he walked through LAX ... he's not even trying to wear it correctly.

You'll recall ... after the JetBlue incident, he raged out and said he would NEVER wear a face mask.

Ya gotta wonder how the folks, especially the crew, aboard his Delta flight felt when they saw him get onboard.

An evangelical Christian singer is coming to COVID-ravaged Los Angeles to spread more than holiday cheer.

It's unbelievable ... as L.A. fast approaches 10,000 COVID deaths and ICUs are filled to the brim, Sean Feucht -- a COVID defier -- plans mass gatherings on skid row and a tent city in Echo Park. The people he's visiting are most at risk, because they're not able to take the same precautions others with greater means have available.

Feucht has been defying health officials and other authorities for months. He threw "Let Us Worship" events over the summer ... open-air concerts around the country as he thumbed his nose at everyone warning people of the dangers. The crowds were packed in like sardines, most of course, not wearing masks. It's the textbook definition of a super-spreader event.

Some skid row activists plan to be on hand when Feucht shows up ... trying to block his efforts.

Feucht has jumped on social media, bragging he's ordered a couple thousand glow sticks for the celebrations.

By the way ... L.A. County is on virtual lockdown with the explosion of coronavirus hospitalizations and deaths.

Jamar Mackey, the VA Beach man cops erroneously detained at a mall, says he's tested positive for COVID-19 ... and he's squarely blaming the maskless officers who cuffed him.

Jamar's outrageous encounter with cops on Dec. 19 made national headlines, because VA Beach PD grabbed the wrong guy in what appeared to be a clear case of racial profiling. At the time, Jamar and his fiancé told TMZ they were pissed -- not only for the humiliation and alleged profiling -- but because the officers were not wearing masks.

Jamar and Shantel Covil tell us they take the pandemic and quarantine very seriously because he owns a sanitizing business, and she has a home healthcare business. They both test frequently, and he says he got his positive test result on Dec. 22 -- just 3 days after the incident -- so he's convinced that was the source of his infection.

As for whether the involved officers have the coronavirus -- VBPD says they can't comment due to privacy laws.

So far, Shantel has tested negative, but Jamar tells us they're most concerned about their children, including their a newborn, contracting the virus.

Joe Exotic is taking a Patrick Henry approach to the possibility of catching COVID-19 -- if the world gives him COVID, then give him death too ... or something like that.

TMZ has obtained an email the 'Tiger King' sent to his Tiger Team -- which is also helping him in his pardon efforts -- and it spells his intentions out clearly ... JE does NOT want to be put on a ventilator in a worst-case scenario should he contract coronavirus.

He writes, "Filled out an advance directive to not be put on a ventilator or life support if I get COVID." He goes on to say that people are dropping like flies at the prison he's at in Fort Worth ... adding that staff and inmates are getting sicker by the day.

He's not entirely wrong about the numbers ... FMC Fort Worth has a listed 12 deaths linked to COVID, with 58 inmates and 27 staffers currently positive. That said, FMC has a decently high recovery rate -- 650 inmates and staffers combined have beaten the 'Rona.

Anwar Hadid insists he's not a hardline anti-vaxxer -- he's had them before -- and now wants to explain what he meant when he told fans he would not get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The 21-year-old model is clarifying his weekend posts where he said of the COVID vaccine ... "Either I just don't get it or I get it and god willing heal from it and get antibodies rather than do that process unnaturally, our bodies are made by the creator to do way more than we think."

On Monday, he said he didn't mean to make such a broad, sweeping generalization -- “I think everyone has to be careful with each vaccine individually looking at positive and possible negative side effects,”

Gigi and Bella's younger bro has been diagnosed with Lyme disease -- just like his mom, Yolanda, and Bella -- and referenced that as part of his hesitation about inoculation.

Anwar added, “As someone who has had a compromised immune system, I want to continue to learn about the many ways I can protect myself and others. never meant to offend with my words.”