Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson announced Wednesday that they have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
The Oscar-winning actor made the announcement on Instagram, saying the couple, who are in Australia, got the diagnosis after being tested for chills and "slight fevers."
"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," Hanks wrote on Instagram. "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. Take care of yourselves!
"Hanx!"
Hanks is in Australia filming Baz Luhrmann’s untitled Elvis Presley biopic.
Publicists for Hanks and Wilson, who are both 63, referred a request for comment to the actor's Instagram post. They are first major celebrities to publicly announce a COVID-19 diagnosis since the World Health Organization was notified on Dec. 31 by Chinese authorities of the new strain of coronavirus in Wuhan, China.
Their son, Chet, said in an Instagram video that he had spoken to his parents and they were "not even that sick."
"It’s true, my parents got coronavirus. Crazy," he said. "I just got off the phone with them, they both are fine, they’re not even that sick. They’re not worried about it, they’re not tripping, but they’re going through the necessary health precautions obviously. But I don’t think it’s anything to be too worried about."
The outbreak has since spread around the globe, killing thousands and prompting the WHO to declare a pandemic. As of Wednesday, more than 1,200 people in the US have tested positive for COVID-19 and 36 have died.
Meanwhile in Hollywood, premieres, screenings, and productions have been halted in the wake of the virus spreading across the United States.
Morning TV shows as well as late-night shows including The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver are taping their broadcasts without audiences out of concern for the coronavirus outbreak.
"The safety of our guests and employees is our top priority," NBC said in a statement.
Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere premiere, originally scheduled for March 12 in Los Angeles, has also been canceled.
“As you are all aware, the current state of affairs has altered the daily lives of many people, including our cast and crew,” representatives said in an email. “After hearing from many of you, and out of an abundance of caution, we are canceling tomorrow’s Little Fires Everywhere premiere screening and celebration.”
The CW’s Riverdale has suspended production on their fourth season, which films in Vancouver, Canada, “out of an abundance of caution,” according to a statement from Warner Bros. TV. There were concerns that a person working on the show was recently exposed to someone who tested positive for the virus, and that team member is currently under medical evaluation.
“We are working closely with the appropriate authorities and health agencies in Vancouver to identify and contact all individuals who may have come into direct contact with our team member,” a spokesperson for the studio said in a statement. “The health and safety of our employees, casts and crews is always our top priority. We have and will continue to take precautions to protect everyone who works on our productions around the world.”
UPDATE
This post has been updated to clarify the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths mentioned were in the US.