Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson infected with coronavirus in Australia
Tom Hanks has announced that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, have been diagnosed with coronavirus.
The Oscar-winning actor, 63, has been in Australia filming an Elvis Presley biopic and said he started experiencing symptoms of the virus. He said he felt as though he had a cold, while Wilson, also 63, suffered chills.
Both have tested positive for coronavirus, Hanks said on Instagram. In a statement, he added: "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!"
Hanks and Wilson's son, Chet, 29, assured fans that his parents were fine. In an Instagram video, he said: "Yeah, it's true. My parents got coronavirus. Crazy. They're both down in Australia right now because my dad was shooting a movie down there, but I just got off the phone with them. They both are fine – they're not even that sick."
He said neither of the actors was worried about the illness, but added that they were taking the necessary precautions.
A post shared by 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗦 🇯🇲 (@chethanx) on Mar 11, 2020 at 7:16pm PDT
Hanks is set to play Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, in the Warner Bros production.
"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," Warner Bros said in a statement.
"We are working closely with the appropriate Australian health agencies to identify and contact anyone who may have come into 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 Warner Bros statement did not mention Hanks. The two-time Oscar winner and star of films including Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan and The Post is the highest-profile Hollywood figure to be diagnosed with the Covid-19 virus.
Moments before Hanks posted on Instagram, Donald Trump addressed the US and announced a host of new measures, suspending all travel from Europe, excluding the UK, for 30 days starting from Friday.
The entertainment industry is also reeling from the outbreak, and a host of major events have been cancelled.
