Coronavirus

In a year where so many good things have gone virtual, here's one tradition carrying on just like normal ... the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree!!!

The 75-foot-tall Norway Spruce was chopped down Thursday and loaded onto a huge flatbed trailer in Oneonta, NY ... about 170 miles north of its Midtown Manhattan destination.

The massive tree will be erected Saturday, though the popular lighting ceremony isn't until December 1.

Rockefeller Center organizers, along with Mayor Bill de Blasio, have yet to reveal exactly how they'll deal with holiday crowds wanting to gather for the event or see the tree up close, as the city's facing another crisis with rising COVID-19 cases.

The Mayor simply says they will take extra precautions to make sure it's safe for people to visit the spectacle in person ... which he says still evokes a "childlike wonder" for him.

Great news for John Elway ... the Denver Broncos legend has recovered from his bout with COVID and is set to return to the team facility on Friday.

60-year-old Elway tested positive for coronavirus on Nov. 3rd after experiencing what the team described as "minor symptoms."

He's been working from home and self-isolating ever since, the team says.

But now, things have taken a turn for the better, according to KUSA's Mike Klis.

"GM John Elway has recovered nicely from COVID and is cleared to return to his office tomorrow," Klis said.

He also noted Broncos CEO Joe Ellis -- who also tested positive for COVID last week -- "is still battling symptoms and is not yet cleared to return.

For what it's worth, the team believes both Elway and 61-year-old Ellis contracted the virus OUTSIDE the team facility.

The Broncos have a game this weekend against the Las Vegas Raiders, a team that's also had some recent COVID drama.

COVID-19 can't stop Urban Meyer ... the college football coaching legend just revealed he beat the virus after contracting it recently.

The former Ohio State head man said he was fortunate ... and only experienced minor effects.

"I did deal with it," the 56-year-old told WBNS 10TV this week. "I've just recently gotten over it. I was relatively symptom-free."

Meyer -- who now works as a CFB analyst for Fox Sports -- says his positive test was the reason he and his other co-hosts had to bail on their “Big Noon Kickoff” pregame show earlier this month.

Urban added he doesn't believe his diagnosis affected any of his co-workers.

"The good thing is none of my partners and teammates had it," Meyer said, "and we're going to be back at it this weekend."

The defending NBA champs will be playing home games in front of empty seats to start off the 2020-21 season ... with the Los Angeles Lakers keeping fans home "until further notice."

The team made the announcement Wednesday ... saying it consulted with state and local health officials to come up with its plan for games as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

"The health and safety of our fans, players, staff and community are our main priority and we will continue to work with state and local officials to come up with a plan to safely welcome fans back to STAPLES Center in adherence with local, State, and NBA guidelines," the Lakers said in a statement.

"We appreciate your continued support and look forward to coming together, when it is safe to do so, to celebrate the raising of our banner and the quest for another NBA championship.

FYI, L.A. -- like many places across the country -- is seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases.

The 2020-21 schedule will be released soon ... and the season starts Dec. 22.

The president of Notre Dame is "very disappointed" at students who broke COVID protocol and stormed the field when the football team beat Clemson this weekend ... and now there will be repercussions.

Tons of students rushed onto the field Saturday night when the #4 ranked Fighting Irish defeated the #1 ranked Clemson Tigers in a double-overtime thriller -- getting up close and personal with players, coaches and staff. It was a COVID-protocol nightmare.

Now, ND president Rev. John. I. Jenkins has sent a letter to the student body spelling out a NEW protocol -- and threatening to essentially ban students next semester if they don't comply.

"As exciting as last night's victory against Clemson was, it was very disappointing to see evidence of widespread disregard of our health protocols at many gatherings over the weekend," Rev. Jenkins said in a letter sent late Sunday.

Jenkins laid out the following steps:

1) "Because we are now even more concerned about the potential for contagion in your home communities as you prepare to travel home at the end of the semester, the University will place a registration hold on the record of any student fails to appear for testing when asked to do so. A Registration hold would mean that you are unable to matriculate or register for classes next semester or receive a transcript."

2) "Furthermore, you may not leave the South Bend area until you receive the results of your exit test. Again, should we discover that you have left the area, we will place a registration hold on your record."

3) "There will be zero tolerance for any gatherings that do not comport with our health and safety guidelines, on or off campus. Those found responsible for hosting such gatherings will face severe sections."

Rev. Jenkins explained "the grave circumstances of this pandemic compel us to take these exceptional measures."

He finished by telling the students to look to the football team for inspiration on how to get through these challenging times.

"Our football team showed us how to finish strong on Saturday night. Please finish the semester strong by wearing a mask, maintaining physical distance, washing your hands and completing your daily health check."

"Furthermore, as outlined above, you must, if you wish to return as a student in the spring semester, appear for testing were notified and not depart until you receive the test result."

Figuring out what to wear to a concert will take a backseat to your COVID-19 status when tours resume in 2021 -- Ticketmaster's exploring a safety plan to help welcome fans back.

The ticket sales company is reportedly in the early stages of developing a plan that event operators can use as a safety measure to mitigate the spread of the virus. One path TM is actively exploring and working to develop ... is a framework for syncing with third party healthcare providers to link COVID vaccine status and/or test results to fans' digital tickets for event entry. It's ultimately up to event organizers to figure out ways to safely bring back fans to live events ... and this is one idea Ticketmaster's spitballing.

The proposed plan was reported by Billboard, and comes on the heels of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announcing its coronavirus vaccine showing a 90% efficacy rate. That's giving concert venues and artists hope the industry can mount a comeback.

Ticketmaster would work with third-party health apps and independent labs, and says data sent to them will be done so in a secure, encrypted way. Ticketmaster would NOT have access to concertgoers' medical records.

Welcome to the new normal.

The Minnesota Vikings say they are shutting down plans to allow fans at their 4 remaining home games -- explaining it's just too dangerous right now.

The Vikings have only allowed 250 fans at U.S. Bank Stadium at home games so far this season ... but have been pursuing options to allow thousands more to attend -- with COVID-19 protocols in place.

But Wednesday, the team announced it is canning those plans in light of rising COVID infection rates in the state of Minnesota.

"We will no longer pursue hosting more than 250 fans for the remaining 2020 Vikings regular-season home games," the team said.

"While we have worked hard to develop a safe and responsible plan to bring back a limited number of fans, our decisions have been based on medical guidance with public health as the top priority," the team said in a statement.

"We take seriously Minnesota's rising COVID infection rates and increasing hospitalizations and believe closing the final four home games to fans is the right decision to help protect our community."

One of the new guys looking for love with Tayshia Adams on "The Bachelorette" just had an incredibly bad day ... starting with his coronavirus test results.

Peter Giannikopoulos says he tested positive for COVID-19 Tuesday after feeling pretty crummy for a few days, and was very distraught over the news because he felt he'd been extremely careful.

Even worse, he says his emotions and anxiety got the best of him as he was driving home from the clinic, and he lost consciousness, veered off the road and hit a pole.

Peter says when he came to, all he remembers is people shouting for help. Fortunately, he walked away with just a small gash on his nose -- as you can see -- and he says he's keeping his chin up and is now focused on beating the virus.

Still, that's one helluva day ... but Peter's reminding everyone to remain positive and lean on each other for support during these trying times.

Peter was one of 4 new suitors to enter the picture on Tuesday night's episode of "The Bachelorette" after Tayshia took over for Clare Crawley ... who made history by finding her soulmate just days into filming, getting engaged, and saying so long to the other fellas.

"You can go down to practice and hit each other and be in close contact -- but you have to have plexiglass in between you and the guy next to you in the locker room?"

That's Aaron Rodgers pointing out some apparent "double standards" in the NFL's COVID protocol -- and asking the question, "Are we doing all this based on science?"

The Green Bay Packers QB got very candid about the league's coronavirus plan during an appearance this week on "The Pat McAfee Show" ... explaining why he thinks some of the rules are more about optics than safety.

"I just think there’s some double standards," Rodgers said.

"You can dap up a guy after the game, but you can’t eat at the same lunch table as a teammate? You can go down to practice and hit each other and be in close contact, but you have to have plexiglass in between you and the guy next to you in the locker room?"

"I just think some of those things to me just don’t really add up. Like I understand what we’re tryin' to do, we’re trying to get every game in and stay healthy. But, I think just some of those things, ... I just think that some things make sense and then some things don’t make a lot of sense."

Rodgers says he also thinks it's weird that players can't talk to opponents after a game -- despite incredibly close contact during the 4 quarters of action.

"There’s spit and sweat and all this stuff and we hit and we're tackling -- and we can't go and talk to somebody who we know on another team?"

Justin Turner is a changed man -- the Dodgers star was out in L.A. Tuesday and it seems he's learned to keep his mask on at all times!

Check out the 35-year-old slugger rockin' his mask while out on a walk with his two doggies -- super safe and super adorable!

It was exactly 2 weeks ago the star 3rd baseman ignited major outbreak concerns during Game 6 of the World Series -- when he blew off the MLB coronavirus protocol to celebrate with his teammates after being told in the 7th inning he had tested positive for the virus.

There was even a point where Turner removed his mask and sat next to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (a cancer survivor) for a team photo.

Turner has since apologized for his actions at the World Series -- saying he failed to "appreciate the risks" of returning to the field after he learned he was COVID positive.

"I have spoken with almost every teammate, coach, and staff member and my intentions were never to make anyone uncomfortable or put anyone at further risk," Turner said in a statement.

Over the weekend, the L.A. County Department of Public Health said 5 members of the Dodgers organization (plus one family member) have tested positive for COVID ... though they have not identified those people by name.

The Steelers have placed Ben Roethlisberger on the COVID-19 list ... but it's NOT because he tested positive.

The 38-year-old QB is reportedly considered a "high-risk, close contact" person -- after Steelers tight end Vance McDonald tested positive for COVID on Monday.

Along with Big Ben, 3 other Steelers were placed on the COVID list for possible exposure -- offensive lineman Jerald Hawkins, running back Jaylen Samuels and linebacker Vince William.

Long story short ... Ben and his 3 teammates will have to isolate for the next 5 days -- and if test results come back negative, they should all be good to play against the Bengals on Sunday.

Until then, the players are not allowed inside the Steelers facility.

As for Vance McDonald, his situation is different since he tested positive on Monday -- he could be required to miss more time, depending on other test results and other factors.

If McDonald was experiencing symptoms -- he must isolate for at least 10 days ... and have 72 hours with no symptoms before he could be allowed to return to the team.

Buzzkill alert -- Dr. Peter Hotez is serving up a test tube full of very cautious optimism about Pfizer's huge coronavirus vaccine announcement.

The renowned vaccine expert joined "TMZ Live" Monday to explain exactly what it means for you, IF Pfizer's vaccine really can be 90% effective in preventing coronavirus infections.

First of all ... Professor Hotez -- who is the Co-Director of Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development as well as the Dean of National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine -- points out all the promising information is from a company press release, and other scientists -- outside of Pfizer -- haven't had a chance to confirm the data.

Assuming it is accurate, he says we're now in uncharted territory for a vaccine in terms of the technology, and there are many other complicated variables in producing and distributing it to the population. For instance, it needs to be stored at -94 degrees Fahrenheit!!! No simple task for your average drugstore.

Dave Roberts is finally speaking out about the Justin Turner COVID drama at the World Series ... admitting everyone involved "could've all done things differently and done better."

The Dodgers manager broke down his feelings on the matter with KTLA on Monday ... relenting his team dropped the ball on the handling of the situation.

"This is new to all of us," Roberts said. "So, I think emotions got the best of all of us."

Turner was pulled in the 7th inning of the Dodgers' Game 6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays last month after tests revealed he was positive for coronavirus.

The 35-year-old 3rd baseman initially was sent into isolation ... but he came out of it just a short time later, saying in a statement last week that he believed he was given permission to take the field for photos with the World Series trophy.

MLB concluded its investigation into the matter and decided to NOT punish either the Dodgers or JT over it all ... but acknowledged everyone involved should've done more to keep Turner from exposing others.

While Roberts appeared to agree with the sentiment Monday ... he added he's still glad Turner got to relish in the title celebration regardless.

"I'm a cancer survivor," Roberts said. "I sat next to him. And, so, I don't apologize for that."

At last!!! It looks like a COVID vaccine is on the horizon that will change the world.

Pfizer just released incredible data -- preliminary though it is -- showing they've developed a vaccine that is MORE THAN 90% EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING CORONAVIRUS INFECTIONS. That level of protection matches the effectiveness of the measles vaccine, which has effectively wiped out that disease.

Scientists were warning a vaccine might only be 55% effective ... maybe slightly higher, but we hadn't heard percentages like this before in the various trials.

The stock market reacted in spectacular fashion ... futures are up 1500 points, and it makes sense -- the pandemic has wiped out our economy, and this is the light at the end of the tunnel.

Dr. Albert Bourla, Pfizer's CEO, called the results a "great day for science and humanity."

The vaccine requires 2 doses, and the protection kicks in 28 days after the initial dose.

As for the size of the trial ... pretty impressive. There were 43,538 participants, and of those, there were 94 confirmed COVID infections.

Pfizer says by year's end it should have enough doses to immunize 15 million to 20 million people.

The Operation Warp Speed folks have promised Pfizer nearly $2 billion to deliver 100 million doses to Americans free of charge.

President Trump's eldest son has his tinfoil hat on Monday morning -- he thinks the promising COVID vaccine news coming out right after the election is more than coincidence ... he's insinuating the drug company held its findings back till after the election so Trump wouldn't get a bounce and possibly win as a result.

Donald Trump Jr.'s response to Pfizer developing a coronavirus vaccine that may be more than 90 percent effective ... "Nothing nefarious about the timing of this at all right?"

The President repeatedly claimed during the lead up to the election that a vaccine would be announced before voting day. On top of that, Trump touted Pfizer as a company with great promise in finding a vaccine. So his son is suggesting the findings were available but held back.

For his part, President Trump took a different approach to Pfizer's vaccine results by tweeting -- in all caps -- "STOCK MARKET UP BIG, VACCINE COMING SOON. REPORT 90% EFFECTIVE. SUCH GREAT NEWS!"

President-elect Biden says he was informed of the vaccine development Sunday night and says, "I congratulate the brilliant women and men who helped produce this breakthrough and to give us such cause for hope."

A pandemic like no other ...

Golf star Sergio Garcia has tested positive for coronavirus -- and has withdrawn from The Masters tournament in Augusta, which is set to kick off on Thursday.

Garcia is one of the top golfers in the world and famously won The Masters back in 2017.

The 40-year-old revealed the news on social media ... saying he got tested over the weekend after experiencing symptoms.

"On Saturday night after driving back from the Houston Open, I started feeling a bit of a sore throat and a cough," Garcia said.

"The symptoms stayed with me on Sunday morning so I decided to get tested for Covid-19 and so did my wife Angela. Thankfully she tested negative, but I didn’t."

"After 21 years of not missing a Major Championship, I will sadly miss The Masters this week."

"The important thing is that my family and I are feeling good. We’ll come back stronger and give the green jacket a go next April."