Tom Hanks Says He and Wife Rita Wilson Have Coronavirus: ‘Take Care of Yourselves’

On Wednesday, Deadline reported that two major stars have tested positive for the coronavirus. The publication reported that both Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, who were in Australia for the pre-production of Baz Luhrmann’s untitled Elvis Presley film, tested positive for the coronavirus. The famous actor subsequently released a statement about the news via Instagram in which he expressed that he’ll keep the world posted about his condition.

“Hello, folks. Rita and I are down here in Australia,” Hanks’ statement began. “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.”

“Well, now. What to do next? The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed,” his statement continued. “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,” he concluded. “Take care of yourselves! Hanx!”

Warner Bros., the studio behind the Presley film that was being filmed in Australia, also released a statement about the news, as Deadline reported.

“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),” the statement began. “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 is always our top priority, and we are taking precautions to protect everyone who works on our productions around the world.”

“The individual who tested positive for COVID-19 is currently receiving treatment,” they added.

This news comes amidst growing concerns surrounding the coronavirus, which was deemed to be a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on Wednesday.

“Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO’s assessment of the threat posed by this #coronavirus. It doesn’t change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do,” the organization’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

He went on to share, “81 countries have not reported any #COVID19 cases, and 57 countries have reported 10 cases or less. We cannot say this loudly enough, or clearly enough, or often enough: all countries can still change the course of this pandemic.”

Ghebreyesus concluded his statement by saying, “We’re in this together, to do the right things with calm and protect the citizens of the world. It’s doable.”