Celebrity Health

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is itching to reopen the state's economy, but many of the people who service celebs there aren't feeling it, and think it's an irresponsible move.

TMZ spoke with several hairstylists and makeup artists to the stars in Atlanta, and the general consensus is ... Gov. Kemp's making a mistake opening businesses Friday, and they side with ATL Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who believes Kemp's decision is a danger to public health.

Beauty influencer Alonzo Arnold, whose clients include Solange and Missy Elliott, tells us ... he doesn't believe reopening GA's economy is safe at all, and he won't be returning to work for at least another month.

He says the Atlanta salon where he works is planning to open its doors Friday, but he won't be there. Alonzo says it's just not worth the risk.

As you know, many businesses ... including hair and nail salons, gyms, tattoo parlors and bowling alleys have the green light to open. That's despite the fact they require close contact with or between customers.

Makeup artist Lauren Sinclair -- who's worked with Lil' Kim and Porsha Williams -- calls what the Governor is doing, "completely irresponsible." She says it's still nearly impossible to find disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer in ATL right now, which makes her feel like this is totally unsafe. She's not working Friday, and says she won't consider returning for a couple more weeks.

One of Tiny Harris' hairstylists, B'Lyel Harris, tells us he's completely cut himself off from meeting clients since March 13. He admits he's nearly broke, but says he has a complication -- an autoimmune disease. So, B'Lyel truly fears he could die going back to work.

Makeup artist Akil McCoy, who's done work for City Girls and B. Simone, says he personally knows people who've tested positive for COVID-19 but are still out and about. That's why he fears opening businesses back up could lead to a spike in cases.

He says he's passed on booking celebrity work because it would violate social distancing, but he needs to start making appointments soon. McCoy says he's trying to figure out a way to do it safely amid the coronavirus ... something other stylists are struggling with too.

A dirt track in South Dakota says it'll put a race on in front of 700 (!!!) fans this weekend, despite the COVID-19 pandemic ... and the state's governor ain't pleased with the plan.

Here's the deal ... Park Jefferson International Speedway in North Sioux City, SD says it's playing host to a big race on Saturday despite the risks of spreading coronavirus.

The track's owner, Adam Adamson, says they'll take all precautions necessary to keep people safe at the event ... claiming by only allowing 700 people in the 4,000-seat venue, proper social distancing guidelines will be followed.

Adamson also tells the Argus Leader the event will be entirely cashless ... and the clubhouse where large groups of people usually congregate will be closed.

The problem? Even with precautions taken ... 700 people in a small area is a BAD idea at this stage in the global pandemic -- and now, the state's governor is issuing a plea for people to stay away.

Gov. Kristi Noem said in her press conference Tuesday, "I'm going to strongly recommend to the people of South Dakota that they not go and that they stay home."

She added, "We're asking that they be wise and smart to continue on the path and plan we’ve laid out for South Dakota for several more weeks."

Of course, Noem has been widely panned for NOT issuing a mandatory stay-at-home order for the state ... this despite South Dakota having over 1,700 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

As for Adamson, he claims spectators will be fine at the event ... adding, "We intend to go overboard on following CDC guidelines."

UFC fighter Lyman Good says he's 100% recovered after his battle with COVID-19 ... and he's already back in the gym!

Good tested positive for coronavirus back in March while gearing up for his April 18 fight against Belal Muhammad at UFC 249.

The 34-year-old says he's been feeling weak and had trouble breathing.

After a week of symptoms, Good says he began to feel MUCH better. His most recent tests came back negative for COVID-19 and he's been cleared by doctors.

"Now I’m 100%," Good says ... "I’m in contact with Red Cross because I’m in the process of trying to get information so I can give blood donations. So I can get my antibodies to help other people."

"I was fortunate enough to beat this thing, there’s people who aren’t fortunate enough, and it’s a battle for some other people out there. So, I want to be able to do my part."

Good says he resumed his MMA training once he got the green light from doctors -- and he's hoping to get back in the Octagon as soon as possible.

"Once I got word, and the test results came back, I let my coaches know, I let my teammates know and I was back in."

"But, more important than catching the virus again, is to let everybody know that I beat this thing and a lot of people will."

"We will get through these tough times, we just gotta stick together, be positive through everything, and yeah I’m back to work. I’m ready to get back to work and I’m ready for the next fight."

Madonna is on board with Meek Mill, Michael Rubin, Van Jones, Bob Kraft and Jay-Z ... joining the REFORM Alliance's effort to protect inmates and correctional facility staff from COVID-19.

REFORM is partnering with Madge's Ray of Light Foundation to send 100,000 surgical masks to jails and prisons across the country ... especially some hit hard by the coronavirus.

The massive donation includes 50,000 masks for the Cook County Jail and the Illinois Department of Corrections ... where more than 600 prisoners, staffers and deputies have been infected. At last count, 7 people have died.

Another 20,000 masks are going to the Louisiana Department of Corrections, while the remaining 30,000 masks will be distributed between Vacaville Prison in California, FCI Ray Brook in New York and Suffolk Co. Sheriff’s Dept. in Massachusetts.

76ers partner and REFORM Alliance co-chair Rubin tells us ... "It's absolutely crucial that we protect our inmates and prison staff, especially since social distancing guidelines are difficult to abide by in these facilities."

Jessica Alba's husband, Cash Warren, is also part of the effort -- through his company, Pair of Thieves -- to distribute the PPE at a time when the pandemic seems to be intensifying at several correctional facilities. Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Virginia experienced their first COVID-19 deaths in prisons or jails within the past week.

It's another swing and a miss for R. Kelly -- the judge shot down his 2nd attempt to get released from jail due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The federal judge acknowledged the disease has spread at MCC Chicago, where Kelly is being held awaiting the first of many trials. However, the judge said Kelly's motion for release on bond did not present enough evidence the singer is uniquely at risk to contract the coronavirus.

As for Kelly's argument, he's not a flight risk because he's previously showed up for scheduled court appearances ... the judge wasn't buying that. She said Kelly is now facing more serious charges, including allegedly tampering with witnesses ... so again, no dice on release.

TMZ broke the story ... Kelly's lawyer told the judge the singer's in a vulnerable position at MCC Chicago especially after claiming an inmate on Kelly's floor has recently been hospitalized for COVID-19.

He also insisted Kelly is NOT a flight risk because the singer doesn't really have the means. They pointed out Kelly owes nearly $2 million to Uncle Sam, and any money he does make from royalties is going to pay bills.

The judge's decision didn't reference his financial trouble, but she did address Kelly's insistence he would lay low -- while wearing a GPS monitor -- and stay off social media. She said due to the pandemic and law enforcement resources being stretched ... "They cannot ensure that a defendant with a history, incentive and opportunity to interfere with potential witnesses will not do so."

Life ain't all that beautiful in 2020 ... another music festival is getting scrapped due to concerns over the novel coronavirus.

Life is Beautiful, a three-day outdoor festival in downtown Las Vegas celebrating music, art, food and comedy, has just been canceled due to COVID-19.

The festival was scheduled to take place on multiple stages in Sin City Sept. 18-20, but event organizers say they're taking a one-year hiatus and intend to return in 2021.

Life is Beautiful is still gonna try and make an impact on Vegas even though no bands are coming and no murals will be painted ... festival organizers say they're putting resources towards the local community instead of the event.

Seems festival honchos saw the writing on the wall ... Life is Beautiful says there was just no way the festival could happen as planned due to the health and economic impacts being brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

Killer Mike thinks Georgia's jumped the gun with reopening on Friday -- potentially risking lives -- so, he is NOT rushing to open doors at his chain of barbershops.

The rapper joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and told us he's concerned about Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's plan to lift much of the state's lockdown restrictions Friday, allowing barbershops, salons, gyms and several other businesses to reopen.

Killer Mike and his wife, Shay, own a string of barbershops in Atlanta, called The Swag Shop, but tells us they're opting to keep all the locations shuttered.

While he sees strong incentives to reopen the shops -- businesses are around to make money -- Mike says concern over the health and safety of his employees and customers outweigh the company's bottom line.

He also admits race is a factor, because African Americans are being impacted by COVID-19 at a very high rate, and that's the community he serves -- so he doesn't want to put anyone in danger by opening too soon.

Sounds like Killer Mike thinks Dr. Anthony Fauci is right when he says lifting restrictions too soon could backfire. Mike's hoping governors and mayors can get on the same page, and formulate a better plan. So far, that hasn't happened in Georgia ... where several mayors are vocally opposed to the Gov. Kemp's move.

Until then, Mike has a message for the average American worker who feels they might need to rush back to work.

Diamond Dallas Page thinks Georgia's moving too fast when it comes to reopening businesses ... so don't count on him to do it.

The pro wrestling legend tells TMZ ... he's a big fan of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. In fact, he voted for him, but he's not down with Kemp lifting much of Georgia's lockdown restrictions. On Friday, gyms, barbershops, spas and several other businesses can reopen, but DDP says he's opting to remain closed.

Instead, he says he'll err on the side of caution with his Diamond Dallas Page Yoga Performance Center in Smyrna, GA -- about 20 minutes outside Atlanta. That being said, DDP isn't blasting other business owners who will open their doors.

As he put it ... "if it works for other people, then let them do it." But, personally speaking, he's advising friends to remain home and continue to social distance until health experts get a better grip of the coronavirus.

The coronavirus put Lil Xan in the hospital this weekend, not because he contracted it, but because he's super stressed out over the stay-at-home orders.

The rapper tells TMZ he was rushed to the hospital by ambulance Sunday while at his mom's house in, of all places, Corona, CA. He's been quarantining there with her, and she's the one who called 9-1-1 after seeing Xan hallucinating so badly it was freaking her out.

Xan says doctors told him he'd suffered a panic attack, but he doesn't remember much of the episode. As for what might've triggered it ... he says he feels it was caused by anxiety he's been feeling while cooped up inside.

He says he's been in and out of hospitals over anxiety issues for years, but this is the first time it's happened since the coronavirus pandemic hit ... and it was the worst one. Xan's been avoiding the news to keep his head straight, but tells us social media doesn't help.

And yes, he's been quarantining pretty religiously too, only going out for essentials, like groceries.

One of the reasons the crisis has been weighing heavily on him might be about being the breadwinner in his family. Like millions of Americans, and almost all artists, he's out of work right now. His shows have all been canceled, including a festival in Canada.

Adding insult to injury, Xan says his album drop has been delayed and he can't even record now, either -- it's tough to get into a studio because they're not essential.

George Stephanopoulos is out for a walk in East Hampton, and given he just revealed his COVID-19 diagnosis a week ago ... this looks like a good sign for his health.

The 'GMA' anchor was out and about Monday in the exclusive Long Island 'hood. George seemed pretty sporty in shorts and a windbreaker as he chatted on his phone, and while he had a face mask ... it was around his neck, not covering his nose and mouth.

As we reported ... George announced on 'GMA' last week he tested positive for coronavirus just weeks after his wife, Ali Wentworth, contracted it. We're guessing there was no one nearby. Since George is still within the 14-day window he could be contagious, and that mask would be key in protecting others.

George has continued working on 'GMA' from home, including on Monday. At least one of his neighbors isn't happy he's out and about. ICYMI ... someone went on social media and put the newsman on blast for allegedly not following social distance guidelines.

The NY Post reported the neighbor, who's since deleted the Facebook post, was pissed off after allegedly seeing George at a drug store and walking his dog on a golf course.

He's clearly feeling well enough for a walk, but it's debatable whether he should.

Game shows like "The Price Is Right" and "Family Feud" are on hiatus due to the COVID-19 crisis, but comedian Chris Duffy's got a new way for game show junkies to win big ... from the comfort of their own home.

Duffy -- a writer for "Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas" -- has launched a Zoom-based series called "Come On Down, You're Already Here!" The show matches comedians up with random contestants all over the country ... to play silly games for pandemic-related prizes.

The way the game works -- Duffy and the other comics present challenges to the 3 contestants who've joined them on the Zoom call. Examples include being the first contestant to find a certain household item and bring it to the screen ... or drawing something using Zoom's whiteboard feature.

There are 3 rounds for 3 points each, and a final head-to-head round between the top 2 scorers to determine the winner.

The weekly champ gets a grand prize mailed to them, which can range from a Duffy-signed homemade dish towel mask to a Duffy-signed single sheet of toilet paper. Or -- for the really lucky -- an entire roll of TP.

Anyone can enter for a chance to compete as long as they have access to the video conferencing platform ... but having a special skill or interesting trait is a plus.

Chris tells us on a recent episode, a woman demonstrated during her intro how she can write simultaneously with both her right and left hands at the same time ... while another contestant flaunted a fake tooth.

YG is taking a hands-on approach to giving back ... dropping off care packages filled with what have become crucial items these days.

The rapper's nonprofit org 4Hunnid Ways is sending $10k worth of PPE (personal protective equipment) to dozens of families in Emergency Crisis Housing in Central Los Angeles. The packages have masks, gloves, sanitizer detergent, clothes, board games water, diapers, bottles and other toys.

In total, YG and co. are helping more than 100 families.

YG and his biz partner Sheron Barber tells TMZ, "Nothing prepares you for a situation like this, rather than sit by and wait for updates on how people in underserved circumstances are going to be assisted, we took the initiative to listen to the needs of families and provide all the necessary items to help them through Quarantine while still practicing social distance."

He's just the latest example of people -- famous or not -- stepping up to help out those less fortunate right now.