Celebrity Health

It's been a while -- for real, how long's it been? -- but the eerie scene of silent NYC streets is still hard to get used to ... particularly the boarded-up stores at one of its most popular shopping spots.

Check it out ... a month into the coronavirus pandemic, and the once-thriving designer and luxury boutiques of SoHo are all still shuttered.

The Louis Vuitton and Polo Ralph Lauren shops chose to go with a more branded look for their lockdowns -- with inspirational quotes to boot -- but the end result is the same as Jimmy Choo, Dior and Chanel ... closed for business, and hopefully protected from theft.

Of course, many of these stores went dark in mid-March, when pandemic panic was in full swing and the City ordered non-essential businesses to close.

Shop owners were initially encouraged to keep their lights on or hire additional security to protect valuables instead of boarding up -- to maintain a semblance of normalcy -- but stay-at-home orders quickly followed ... so they battened down the hatches.

As we told you ... law enforcement in NYC was concerned the new ghost town environment would result in break-ins and burglaries, particularly in the night hours, but so far it seems the boards have done their job.

Luenell is finally welcoming her daughter back into her home after kicking her out over coronavirus concerns, but there's a strict new set of ground rules.

The comedian and "A Star is Born" actress tells TMZ ... her daughter, Da’Nelle Campbell, is living under her roof again, but she's lost in-and-out privileges this time around.

Luenell sent Da'Nelle packing last month to go quarantine solo ... at her own home. She told us she didn't feel safe because Da'Nelle was bringing friends around her. Luenell's 61, so she's right to be wary of COVID-19 and you never know who is a silent carrier.

It's funny ... Luenell says her daughter only came back because she needed to do laundry, but now she's there to stay. Kids, right?!?

Speaking of laundry, Luenell has some sage advice for parents who feel like they need to screen their kids ... strip at the door, and wash up!!!

Jose Ramirez is one of the best boxers in the world, but he used to work long hours in a field ... and he tells TMZ Sports farmworkers desperately need help, so he's stepping up.

We talked to the 27-year-old Olympian and undefeated (25-0) light welterweight champion about his quest to donate thousands of care packages full of supplies ... for immigrant workers in Cali.

"We're starting off with about a thousand boxes that include vitamins, food products, disinfectant supplies, cleaning supplies. The main thing is to boost their immune system," Ramirez says.

"Those boxes are going to farmworkers, people who continue working in the fields. As you know, they feed the world. People here in central California, they do 58% of all the produce we eat nationally."

Ramirez says field workers put in long hours -- and with stores constantly low on supplies -- he's stepping up to fill the void.

"I wanted to do this gesture because it came to my attention that once COVID-19 really started to spread fast, people got really panicked so they started going to store and buying everything off the shelves."

The 140-pound champion continued ... "When the farmworkers were coming out of work at 4:30 PM, there was nothing for them to buy."

JR says workers are often overlooked -- and because he used to work long hours in a field as young man -- he's fighting for people he considers family.

"They have a very special part in my heart. Like I said, I worked in the fields right next to them. They're my neighbors. They're my biggest fans. They're like family to me."

Sean Penn had an intruder Friday ... a swab that went way up his nose to test for the presence of COVID-19.

Sean's doing great work in the 'Bu ... he helped organize and fund a COVID-19 testing facility through his org, the Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE).

In case you haven't followed it, the swab test collects samples from the nasal passage.

CORE is working the City of Los Angeles and L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti to offer drive-through testing free of charge.

Penn has said he hopes the system he set up through CORE will provide a model for other cities and counties around the country.

Jacksonville, FL Beachgoers Don't seem at all concerned with the number of coronavirus deaths and cases on the rise ... because they hit the sand Friday and packed in like sardines.

It's a crazy sight, as the sun worshipers took their chances by getting in close contact with other beachgoers.

Jacksonville's mayor, Lenny Curry, celebrated the trek to the beach saying, "This can be the beginning of the pathway back to normal life."

President Trump is clearly encouraging people to break quarantine, with Tweets like, "LIBERATE MICHIGAN," "LIBERATE VIRGINIA," and "LIBERATE MINNESOTA."

He's clearly dog-whistling, because he threw in this ... "And save your great 2nd Amendment."

Not hard to read between the lines ... he's telling his stalwarts to ignore the advice of doctors, scientists, their governor and mayor, because they're Americans dammit.

Las Vegas is looking into ways to lift coronavirus restrictions and safely reopen the world famous strip -- but it's gonna change your Vegas experience forever.

Our sources in Vegas tell TMZ ... when the casinos reopen, they will absolutely have different layouts and practices, and the biggest issues on the table are cleanliness and spacing.

We're told casinos will have to make sure gamblers don't get too close to one another, and that means spacing out people at table games like blackjack.

The strip sees about 115,000 revelers on an average day, so the risk for spreading the virus remains high while there's no vaccine. As a result, we're told officials' top priority is preventing a COVID-19 flare up.

Our sources say monumental sanitation efforts are being discussed for casinos -- machines will need to be cleaned more than ever before, and they'll need a system to sanitize playing chips, cards and dice -- the 3 surfaces gamblers touch the most.

We're told casino operators are working directly with government officials to hammer out a plan to lift restrictions and reopen the city -- but there are a lot of hurdles. For instance, our sources say they haven't even begun to tackle nightclubs.

As you know ... Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak closed all the state's casinos in mid-March to slow the spread of the coronavirus, and the order's now in place until at least April 30. Sisolak said this week the state isn't even close to lifting restrictions, so don't book those flights just yet.

The Nevada Gaming Board tells TMZ ... safety is a top priority, as well as protecting employees and visitors, and ideas on how to do so safely are being exchanged.

It started with wash your hands ... and it's now going to be WIPE YOUR FEET!!!

That's the route many businesses are looking to take in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Center for Disease Control reporting that coronavirus particles can live on shoes and not just on handrails and other surfaces.

Enter the disinfecting shoe mats. TMZ spoke to several companies who offer them and we're told business is boomin' ... as several industries ramp up measures to prevent spread of the virus.

The concept of the mats is pretty simple -- you wipe your feet on the, it sanitizes and disinfects the shoes. One of the big brands is SaniStride, which says its product is 99.99% effective ... and they've seen a jump in sales of over 500% since the middle of March. That CDC report about shoes gave the company another sales boost.

So far, the Oregon-based company has mailed out THOUSANDS of mats with continuing inquiries from nursing homes, hospitals, office buildings, markets, restaurants and rental car companies.

And, there's this ... SaniStride says a few major cruise liners reached out a few weeks ago. It's no secret the cruise industry is taking it on the chin lately ... with multiple coronavirus-related deaths on ships, which have triggered several lawsuits.

The "new normal" is also pushing sales through the roof for an Illinois-based company called allMATS, which says it's backed up on at least 100 orders. We're told customers are ordering in bulk -- 50 to 70 mats at a time. Likewise, Mat Supplier in Washington state says its sales have tripled compared to last year.

A Fashion Nova employee has contracted the coronavirus, setting off a massive cleaning process and resulting in several employees being sent home.

According to a spokesperson for FN Logistics ... the employee who recently tested positive for COVID-19 worked at the warehouse in Sante Fe, CA. Their most recent day on the job was April 15.

The rep says the worker is now home under quarantine for 14 days. The company also told anyone who came in contact with this person to stay home in quarantine for the next 2 weeks ... with pay.

We're told, all Fashion Nova employees have been instructed to stay home if they are experiencing any of the common symptoms of coronavirus -- coughing, fever, trouble breathing -- and contact HR.

In addition ... the FN rep says the area where the infected employee worked was immediately shut down and disinfected. The entire distribution facility was closed Thursday night, so a cleaning company could complete a deep clean ... using only CDC-approved products.

We're told other precautionary measures are being taken, such as temperature checks for those entering the building and ensuring social distancing guidelines are maintained by limiting the daily headcount.

As we reported ... Fashion Nova, along with brand ambassador Cardi B, is giving away $1,000 per hour right now to people needing financial relief due to the pandemic.

Willamina is a squirrel with kick-ass timing -- she's now living in the lap of luxury, because she showed up in a Louisiana woman's home just as quarantine began.

So, here's the story ... just as Louisiana went on a statewide lockdown, Emily Istre was asked to foster a baby squirrel. Emily's mom had found it injured in her yard. Willamina had a badly infected eye and was dangerously malnourished, but over the last 4 weeks ... that's all turned around.

Yeah, it's a feel-good story, but it also makes for some pretty strange video. Emily told us Willamina is now looking at her as the mama squirrel she never knew -- and also as a tree.

Willamina's eye has healed, but the infection left her blind, and she's clearly making herself right at home ... running up and down her adoptive mother no matter what's happing in the house.

We know what you're thinking, and the squirrel's been tested. No rabies, but she does have her own IG page now. Naturally.

Emily's rehabbed sick animals before -- usually birds -- but always released them to the wild. Watch the video ... she explains why Willamina's a different story.

Superheroes will NOT unite at Comic-Con this year ... the event's been nixed for the first time in history due to COVID-19 concerns.

Organizers announced the stunning though understandable decision Friday morning citing pandemic concerns. It's the first time in the event's 50-year history that the celebrated San Diego event gets canceled. Organizers hope the event returns July 22-25, 2021.

Comic-Con released a statement that said, in part, "Recognizing that countless attendees save and plan for its conventions each year, and how many exhibitors and stakeholders rely upon its events for a major portion of their livelihood, they had hoped to delay this decision in anticipation that COVID-19 concerns might lessen by summer."

The statement went on, "Continuous monitoring of health advisories and recent statements by the Governor of California have made it clear that it would not be safe to move forward with plans for this year."

What's more ... WonderCon in Anaheim -- initially slated for April 10-12 -- has been rescheduled for March 26-28, 2021. Organizers also said those who bought badges for Comic-Con 2020 "will have the option to request a refund or transfer their badges to Comic-Con 2021. All 2020 badge holders will receive an email within the next week with instructions on how to request a refund."

Exhibitors for the event will also have the option to request a refund or transfer their payments to 2021. Expect an email. Also ... Comic-Con's official hotel will automatically be canceling all hotel reservations and refunding all deposits made through them.

Comic-Con -- and WonderCon -- are just the latest events to get wiped out due to the health crisis.