Tom Hanks Shares That He and Rita Wilson Tested Positive for Coronavirus
Tom Hanks has announced on his Instagram page that he and his wife Rita Wilson have tested positive for COVID-19, a.k.a. novel coronavirus. They are the first celebrities to go public with a diagnosis, and if people like Hanks and Wilson aren’t safe, then no one is!
The couple are currently in Australia for the production of Baz Luhrmann’s untitled Elvis Presley movie, in which Hanks is playing Presley’s iconic manager Colonel Tom Parker. Here’s the statement that Hanks shared:
“Hello, folks. Rita and I are down here in Australia. We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive.
Well, now. What to do next? The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed. We Hanks’ will be tested observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no?
We’ll keep the world posted and updated.
According to Variety, Hanks and Wilson were the only known individuals on the film’s production team to contract the disease. The film is currently in pre-production and has yet to start shooting, but as you might imagine, this is going to delay things.
Warner Bros. issued the following statement after Hanks and Wilson went public:
“We have been made aware that a company member from our Elvis feature film, which is currently in pre-production in The Gold Coast, Australia, has tested positive for COVID-19 (coronavirus). We are working closely with the appropriate Australian health agencies to identify and contact anyone who may have come in direct contact with the individual. The health and safety of our company members is always our top priority, and we are taking precautions to protect everyone who works on our productions around the world. The individual who tested positive for COVID-19 is currently receiving treatment.”
So far there have been 115,000 cases of coronavirus confirmed worldwide, and it has taken more than 4,200 lives. There’s no doubt that Hanks and Wilson are going through all kinds of emotions at the moment, and I’m hopeful that they’ll pull through and be alright.
