Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are the first celebrities to announce that they have tested positive for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) which has yesterday been declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a global pandemic.
The 63-year-old Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson made the announcement through an Instagram post where the couple shared the details of their diagnosis.
With an upbeat and optimistic tone, Tom Hanks shared he and his wife recently flew to Australia for the pre-production of Baz Luhrman's Elvis Presley movie wherein he was cast as Elvis' iconic manager Col. Tom Parker.
In his Instagram post, Tom said he and his wife started to experience symptoms of tiredness, colds and body aches while they were in Australia. Rita also experienced chills and slight fevers that came and went.The couple went to get tested for Coronavirus as a precaution, given that different countries in the world have reported outbreaks of the virus.
As the tests were released, both Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were found positive of the disease.
"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 requirements. Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no? We'll keep the world posted and updated," Tom said, as he urged their fans to take care of their health.
According to a report by Variety, Tom and Rita were the only ones so far on the set of the movie to test positive for COVID-19.
For its part, Warner Bros has issued a statement at the heels of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson's announcement.
"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 are always our top priority, and we are taking precautions to protect everyone who works on our productions around the world," the studio said in the statement. Warner Bros. did not name Tom Hanks in their missive.
Based on a report by The New York Times, Warner Bros. has also suspended the filming for its CW teen series Riverdale amid growing concerns about the Coronavirus.
The WHO has reported COVID-19 has affected 115,000 people worldwide and that the disease has killed more than 4,200 people.
