Coronavirus

This no-mask "Karen" claims she has COVID-19, yet that didn't stop her from coughing all over her Uber driver, while also snatching his phone and HIS face mask.

Luckily, the Bay Area driver recorded the whole incident ... capturing the woman yelling, "No, f*** the mask," and declaring "I got corona." The driver tried his damnedest to get the woman and her 2 friends out of his car, but to no avail.

As if things couldn't get any worse ... the "Karen" grabs the driver's phone from his dashboard before ripping off his mask.

Through it all ... the driver remained calm, and luckily got his phone back but not before having to deal with a nightmare scenario all too familiar to ride-share drivers everywhere.

The "Karen" -- who goes by keepinupwforeign on Instagram -- went on social media to explain her side of things and said, "This man's plan was to go viral from the beginning instead of just taking us to our destination like wtf.”

She continued, “Idk who going to get out on the freeway or at the gas station in the hood at that with all the stuff I had! He could have said not [to] get in from the beginning period or at least waiting at the gas station for our next Uber but no."

You can see in the video the "Karen" posted she is wearing a mask ... but based on her side of the story it appears the driver's problem was she wasn't wearing a mask before getting into the car, and only throwing one on after getting into an argument that quickly escalated.

The NBA All-Star Game did NOT turn into a super-spreader for COVID-19 ... with league officials saying there were ZERO new cases throughout the weekend.

Remember, there was great concern over hosting all the league's best players in one city during a global pandemic ... with players from LeBron James to De'Aaron Fox expressing their concerns leading up to the event.

But, the league says all the festivities went off without a hitch in Atlanta ... announcing all testing for players, coaches and officials came back negative throughout the weekend.

In fact, the Association says all participants were tested 3 TIMES to make sure there were no on-court infections, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

As for the game, Team LeBron beat Team Durant 170-150 in a crazy, highlight-filled matchup ... with Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo taking MVP honors after going 16-for-16 from the field.

COVID-19 protocols did play a bit of a role in the game, as Sixers stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were pulled before tip-off due to contact tracing.

Now, the players have a few days off before the second half of the season picks up later this week.

Hopefully, the trend continues the same for the rest of the season.

LeBron James was just asked if he would get a COVID-19 vaccine when he's able to -- and rather than firmly come out and say yes, he waffled ... which is startling.

King James did a 20-minute-plus interview Sunday for NBA All-Star Weekend ... and at one point he was asked how he's been able to stay COVID-free and relatively healthy throughout the pandemic. Bron chalked it up to luck and faith ... saying he just follows the protocols handed down by the league to a T, going straight home after he plays in games/practices.

Another 'rona question was raised at the very end of the interview ... a reporter asked if he himself would get vaccinated whenever that became an option, and whether he'd encourage everyone in the Players Association to do the same. He also referenced Adam Silver's recent remark that he was gonna leave it up to NBA players and not make it mandatory.

Silver said ... "My hunch is that most players ultimately will choose to get vaccinated. They have to make personal decisions at the end of the day."

In response, LeBron said this about his own decision on the vaccine ... "That's a conversation that, you know, my family and I will have. And, probably pretty much keep that to a private thing." He said he was aware of Silver's comments, but insisted it was something to be discussed among the family and not in public, and that's where he was going to keep it.

That's fascinating, considering LeBron is by far one of the most influential people in the world ... and perhaps the second or third most influential African-American. The fact he's wishy-washy on whether he'll get it speaks volumes, and could well influence others in the community.

Of course, vaccinations have been a major issue in the Black community ... as many simply don't trust it -- due to a number of historical atrocities perpetuated onto African-Americans and other factors as well. But, many prominent Black role models have been trying to convince the Black community this vaccine is safe and worth taking ... like the late, great Hank Aaron.

Idaho is attempting to pass legislation that would make it illegal for government entities to enforce mask mandates -- something folks there are celebrating by rolling out burn barrels and having their children fan the flames with actual face coverings.

The supposed state-wide protest happening Saturday is being dubbed #FreeIdaho or #BurnTheMask -- and it was organized, in part, by Idaho State Representatives Dorothy Moon and Heather Scott ... who plugged the event earlier this week in a joint video they filmed.

The politicians say they support the "grassroots" movement to show disapproval of different mandates that have gone into effect across the state over the past year. There's no state-wide mask mandate, but about 9 counties and 10 ID cities have such emergency orders.

A website they published for this cause also laid out a number of different "burn sites" all throughout Idaho -- with a major one being held right outside the Idaho Capitol steps.

Check out these photos that show several different adults and families encouraging their kids to grab surgical masks by the handful and toss them into the flames of metal barrels with fire inside.

It's pretty eerie to watch ... because the kids, who probably don't know any better, laugh with glee as they get rounds of applause for each time they throw a mask into the embers.

Of course, the pandemic is far from over ... and while the cases are dropping nationwide and Idaho's only had about 1,800 confirmed deaths related to COVID ... it's no time to abandon mask-wearing entirely, something some states are choosing to do as the vaccines roll out.

Like we said, about a dozen Republicans in the Idaho state legislature intro'd a bill this past week that would outlaw mask mandates, including in schools and universities. Private businesses would still be able to enforce mask-wearing, however, if passed.

Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras looked very much like pre-pandemic times, but there were actually some precautions taken.

An estimated 35,000 people watched the annual parade at the Sydney Cricket Ground. That's a ton of folks, but way less than the 200,000 that lined Oxford Street in Mardi Gras's past.

Rita Ora headlined the event ... she got emotional, at one point telling the crowd she was fighting back tears, telling everyone how much she missed performing during the pandemic. Other performers included The Wiggles and singer G Flip.

Australia has fared way, way better than the U.S. They've had just over 29,000 COVID cases and a total of 909 deaths. From our eye, most people were not wearing masks, but the fact is ... Australia has had stringent rules and apparently it has paid off.

When you look at the pics through an American lens, it seems they've pulled out all the stops, but a number of people who attended called this year's event "muted" compared to past Mardi Gras.

Timothy V. Murphy is ready to throw back some Irish whiskey and beer for St. Patrick's Day ... and he'll be doing it at a pub, even though the CDC wants the holiday to go virtual.

We got the "Sons of Anarchy" star at LAX Friday afternoon and our photog asked the famous Irishman about his St. Paddy's Day plans.

Timothy says he's looking forward to drinking at some popular Irish pubs in L.A. and he's not about to cancel the holiday for the second year in a row, despite the CDC urging folks to stay home and celebrate.

The way Timothy sees it ... St. Patrick's Day just doesn't work in a virtual setting, so he's keeping it live and in person. L.A. has outdoor dining (and drinking) again, so he'll have options.

Our guy also asked Timothy about Conor McGregor catching heat for buying a bottle of Proper 12 inside a liquor store without wearing a mask. Sounds like Timothy's glad he's not back in Ireland, or New York City, for that matter.

'Walking Dead' makeup artist and executive producer Greg Nicotero doesn't need CDC guidelines to prepare for a zombie apocalypse ... he already knows a safe place to hide.

We got the genius behind the show's most epic zombies at LAX and asked him what would be in his zombie preparedness kit, something the CDC is actually advising folks to have just in case Nostradamus is right about his big 2021 prediction.

Greg tells our camera guy he just needs a makeup kit to survive ... because it would allow him to blend in with the rest of the zombie horde.

Of course, Greg's the most skilled zombie makeup artist in the world ... but for the rest of us, he says duct tape could really come in handy and the big key is hiding out in a place no zombie would ever think to look, like the dentist's office.

As we reported ... the CDC updated its website's "Zombie Preparedness" section and the overall theme is "Get a Kit. Make a Plan. Be Prepared."

Greg says he's sat on zombie panels with CDC doctors and he thinks the federal agency just wants Americans to at least think about what they would do in a situation like a zombie apocalypse. In reality, the CDC is just clowning a bit, but with a purpose ... to drive younger people to the site for important medical info.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's nursing home controversy just added another layer -- a woman claims she can't see her husband, even though they're both vaccinated ... so, now she's suing.

Mary Mauro is desperately trying to see her husband of 60 years, Mario, who is a U.S. veteran with advanced Alzheimer's disease ... according to the new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ.

In the docs, Mary claims Cuomo's statewide COVID-19 policies are prohibiting her from entering the Long Island State Veterans Home nursing facility where Mario's lived since January.

According to the suit, Mario's lost more than 30 pounds because Mary's not able to help feed him, and as a result, his life's in danger. She also says she's unable to make proper medical decisions for him, and adds ... they're being kept "from ever seeing each other again in a meaningful way."

Mary thinks Cuomo's COVID mandates make no sense in her case because both she and Mario are both fully vaccinated -- plus, Mario already had COVID and recovered.

As we've reported ... Gov. Cuomo's been in hot water for weeks after a report came out claiming his administration severely undercounted COVID-related deaths in nursing homes. Cuomo called the claims a political attack.

The 'Jersey Shore' stars are back in a bubble to shoot the rest of their family vacation, but this time the gang is a lot closer to home.

"Jersey Shore: Family Vacation" has begun shooting the second half of season 4 ... and it appears Pauly D, Vinny, Ronnie, JWOWW, Deena, Angelina, The Situation and their family members are locked down inside Pennsylvania's Woodloch Resort.

Situation's wife, Lauren, dropped the first clue on their new home away from home this week by posting shots of a picturesque lake.

Pauly D's girlfriend, Nikki Hall, also posted a photo in front of a fireplace -- and we took their hints and lined them up to other pics from inside Woodloch resort.

TMZ broke the story ... the 'Jersey Shore' cast shot the first half of season 4 in a "Shore Bubble" at a fancy resort in Nevada, with production adhering to local, state and federal COVID-19 health and safety requirements to get the job done.

Our sources tell us production is taking the same approach for the second half of season 4, except in a new location. While Pennsylvania still isn't Jersey, it's a lot closer -- plus wherever this crew goes kinda becomes the Shore.

Dr. Fauci is gonna sleep well tonight -- officials in Florida have determined Super Bowl LV was NOT a hotspot for COVID-19 ... with just 53 confirmed cases reported in the weeks following the game.

The Hillsborough County health department in Florida released its preliminary report on Super Bowl-related COVID-19 cases on Wednesday ... with chief epidemiologist Michael Wiese announcing case levels were just "a little bit higher" compared to the rest of the state.

Wiese says that small spike was believed to be a result of house parties and gatherings at restaurants and bars -- NOT fans in attendance at the game.

"While we didn’t really have a lot that was associated directly with the Super Bowl, we do know that the community kind of celebrated and got together in response to the events, which did show some increase in the transmission during the weeks afterward," he said.

Super Bowl host committee president and CEO Rob Higgins says more than 280k fans and workers took part in the game and related activities ... but just 1 out of every 4,700 attendees reported a positive test for COVID-19.

During that same time, the health dept. reported 1 in every 99 citizens in the county tested positive for COVID-19.

"Plain and simple, our collective job was to work together to mitigate risk, and the results shared today show that's what happened," Higgins said. "The Super Bowl was not a super-spreader."

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is sounding off on Gov. Greg Abbott -- saying his decision to drop Texas' COVID mask mandate is "ignorant" and dangerous.

"It's a mystifying decision," Coach Pop said Tuesday night in a pre-game presser before his Spurs beat down the visiting NY Knicks.

"Of course [restaurants and businesses] want to open up but getting rid of masks just seems ignorant to me."

Earlier in the day, Gov. Abbott announced he will "open Texas 100%" beginning on March 10 -- which means he will end the state's mask mandate and allow restaurants and other businesses to operate at 100% capacity.

"Too many Texans have been sidelined from employment opportunities," Abbott said ... "Too many small business owners have struggled to pay their bills. This must end. It is now time to open Texas 100%."

Pop says Abbott's decision will obviously result in more COVID cases -- which means more death.

"When all of a sudden we act like [the pandemic] is over with -- when all of the science tells us the opposite -- it's basically like you're saying, 'You get infected? You die? That's the way it goes. We gotta open up!'

Celebrities who own businesses in Texas aren't ditching mask mandates and COVID safety protocols just because Gov. Greg Abbott says it's now cool to do so ... but there's a notable outlier.

Gov. Abbott lifted Texas' statewide mask mandate Tuesday and allowed businesses to go back to full capacity, so we contacted joints with celeb connections to see if they were following suit ... and most told us they're NOT on the same page as the Guv.

Gwyneth Paltrow's folks at Blo Blow Dry Bar tell us there are still concerns about the ongoing pandemic and the biz will continue insisting clients wear masks and follow all other safety measures that were already in place.

A bunch of restaurants -- Pat Green's The Rustic, Guy Fieri's Guy's Taco Joint and Pudge Rodriguez's Pudge's Pizza -- tell us they will continue to follow all COVID protocols.

Meanwhile, at the state's Rock & Brews locations, owned by KISS, customers will have the option to mask up ... and there will no longer be capacity limits.

Over at Buddy Valastro's bakeries, we're told there's been no final decision on going with or against Gov. Abbott ... so masks are still required in the meantime.

Dolly Parton's employing her enormous talent and wealth to encourage folks to follow in her awesome footsteps, and get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The beloved "9 to 5" singer got her first dose of the Moderna vaccine Tuesday at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, and shared a vid of the process, saying ... "Dolly gets a dose of her own medicine."

Clever headline, Dolly ... because as you may recall, she donated $1 million last year to coronavirus research, which she later learned was used to fund Moderna's vaccine.

The country music icon even changed the words to her famous song, "Jolene" ... busting out a hilarious -- and slightly dark -- parody version to hammer home her wish for everyone to get vaccinated.

Dolly's also playfully calling out the "cowards" and "chicken squats" afraid to get their shot by showing herself getting injected ... and she says it didn't even hurt.

As for why the 75-year-old waited so long to be vaccinated, she's previously stated she wanted to wait her turn. Dolly said, "I don’t want it to look like I’m jumping the line just because I donated money."

The King of the Hail Mary is answering prayers in Northern California ... Aaron Rodgers just donated $1 MILLION to help struggling small businesses in the area where he grew up.

80 restaurants and retail businesses in Butte County, CA -- including Chico (Aaron's hometown) -- will receive funds from Aaron's massive 7-figure donation to help cover rent and other operating costs.

The goal is to float the businesses for the next 3 months -- and maybe even longer -- while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage on.

"Small, locally owned businesses are the heart and soul of a community," Rodgers said in a statement Monday.

"In the applications and the videos, it was heart-wrenching to hear about all the obstacles facing restaurants and retail establishments. So many of them are struggling just to stay in business but remain hopeful that there’s an end to this."

Rogers made the donation in association with the North Valley Community Foundation -- which says the NFL star initially pledged $500k ... but DOUBLED his contribution "after seeing the need" in the community.

"Aaron is such an incredible person," NVCF President and CEO Alexa Benson-Valavanis said.

"He looked at everything, decided he wanted to do more, and doubled down on his original $500,000 commitment. He is such a champion for his hometown."

Aaron personally called 9 of the businesses to inform them about the donation -- which must have been a thrill in so many ways!!

Rodgers -- who has reportedly banked more than $240 million in contract money in his 16 NFL seasons -- has come through for Butte County in the past.

He donated $1 mil to help recovery efforts after the Camp Fire of 2018 -- and has also been involved in coronavirus and North Complex Fire relief efforts, according to the NVCF.

R. Kelly might feel like he's trapped in a prison cell, but he's in a better place than much of the country when it comes to being vaccinated ... because we’ve learned he's already received his second dose.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the incarcerated singer's as COVID-safe as can be, after recently receiving shot #2 from the Bureau of Prisons at MCC Chicago, where's he's currently housed while awaiting trial.

We're told Kelly got his first dose in January and the second this month, so he's now fully inoculated.

According to the BOP ... 63 inmates at MCC Chicago have been fully vaccinated so far, along with 128 staff members.

As we reported ... Kelly tried twice, and failed twice, to get released from lockup during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic due to the risk of contracting the disease.

He doesn't have to worry nearly as much about that anymore with a roughly 95 percent efficacy rate with the vaccines ... but his trial still looms. It's currently scheduled for September.

Abigail Breslin's dad had died from COVID, and the actress has shared her grief.

The "Zombieland" star posted 78-year-old Michael Breslin passed away Friday, adding, "Hard to write this. Harder than I thought. I'm in shock and devastation ... my sweet, perfect, amazing, heroic, wonderful dada passed away after my family and I said goodbye. It was COVID-19 that cut my sweet daddy’s life too short."

Michael had been suffering from COVID this month and his condition deteriorated ... he was eventually placed on a ventilator and several days ago lost consciousness.

24-year-old Abigail's siblings, Ryan and Spencer, also shared thoughts about their dad.

Michael worked in telecommunications and worked as a computer programmer and a consultant.

He was 78.