Tom Hanks and wife test positive for coronavirus

He added that he and Rita Wilson 'will be tested, observed and remain isolated'

Renowned actor Tom Hanks said on Wednesday that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, have the Coronavirus, according to his Instagram post. The couple, 63, are in Australia, where Hanks was set to star in a film about the life of late pop icon, Elvis Presley.

“We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches,” the Academy Award-winning actor said in a statement. “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.”

He added that he and Ms Wilson “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?” Hanks said in his statement, which he also posted on Instagram accompanied by a photograph of a lone medical glove in a hazardous waste container. He added, “We’ll keep the world posted and updated.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9nVasnBNF5/

Hanks is by far the most prominent entertainment figure to say he has the virus and, by going public with the information, instantly becomes the face of an outbreak that has cascaded around the globe.

With the seriousness of the pandemic still being debated in some corners of the media, learning that Mr Hanks, the star of films like “Saving Private Ryan” and “Apollo 13,” has been stricken may make the situation seem much more tangible to some Americans.

At virtually the same time that Mr. Hanks released his statement, the N.B.A. announced it was suspending its season. Hours before, the N.C.A.A. said its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments would be played without spectators.

Ann Curry, a journalist and former host of NBC’s “Today,” said on Twitter: “Ok, now we all have someone we love diagnosed with #coronavirus.” Other Hollywood stars immediately offered their support for the couple.

In the movie he was in Australia to film, Mr. Hanks is playing the role of Colonel Tom Parker, Presley’s eccentric manager, who groomed the famous singer for stardom in the 1950's.

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