Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson on Thursday shared an update from Australia where both actors are in isolation after testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).
Tweeting a picture of himself and Wilson, Hanks wrote: “Hello folks. Rita Wilson and I want to thank everyone here Down Under who are taking such good care of us. We have Covid-19 and are in isolation so we do not spread it to anyone else. There are those for whom it could lead to a very serious illness. We are taking it one-day-at-a-time. There are things we can all do to get through this by following the advice of experts and taking care of ourselves and each other, no?”
He concluded by making a reference to his movie A League of Their Own: “Remember, despite all the current events, there is no crying in baseball.”
On Wednesday, Hanks confirmed on his Instagram that he and Wilson, both 63, had tested positive for virus: “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.”
The couple are believed to have contracted the coronavirus in the U.S., or in transit from there, according to officials from Queensland Health, the Australian government department overseeing the outbreak of the disease in that state.
Hanks is in Australia as preproduction work begins on Baz Luhrmann’s as-yet untitled Elvis Presley movie for Warner Bros., in which the Oscar-winning star will play Elvis’ manager Colonel Tom Parker.
On March 5, Wilson performed songs from her new album Halfway to Home at Brisbane’s Emporium Hotel. On Saturday, Wilson made her debut at the Sydney Opera House. It is not yet known if she was infectious then.
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Wilson also visited the studios of Australia’s Nine Network to tape an interview on Today Extra With David Campbell and Belinda Russell. “Nine today has taken action in line with our crisis response plan around a visit to our studio by Ms. Rita Wilson on Monday this week,” a Nine spokesperson said in a statement.
“Our actions are in line with the guidelines set out by the Government and Health Authorities. Those who were in prolonged contact with Ms. Wilson have been tested and are self-isolating for 14 days,” the Nine spokesperson added.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, a Warner Bros. spokesperson confirmed that preproduction on Luhrmann’s Elvis film had been halted after a “company member” on the production had tested positive for coronavirus and that the “individual who tested positive for COVID-19 is currently receiving treatment.”
— Tom Hanks (@tomhanks) March 13, 2020
