Singer-Songwriter Rita Wilson Tests Positive for Coronavirus

Singer-songwriter Rita Wilson and her husband, actor Tom Hanks, have both tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). The pair revealed the news on social media on Wednesday night (March 11), around the same time that President Donald Trump addressed the United States about the pandemic.

Per an Instagram post from Hanks, he and Wilson were in Australia when they began feeling "a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches ... Slight fevers too." Wilson also experienced "some chills that came and went." To be on the safe side, the pair got tested for coronavirus, and the tests came back positive.

"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?" Hanks writes. "We’ll keep the world posted and updated. Take care of yourselves!"

Deadline reports that Hanks and Wilson, who also acts, are in Gold Coast, Australia, for pre-production on director Baz Luhrmann's untitled Elvis Presley biopic, in which Hanks is portraying Col. Tom Parker, Presley's longtime manager. A statement from Warner Bros. confirms that "a company member from our Elvis feature film ... has tested positive for COVID-19 (coronavirus)," and that the studio is "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," Warner Bros. adds, "and we are taking precautions to protect everyone who works on our productions around the world."

Luhrmann's Presley film is scheduled to open on Oct. 1, 2021, and also features Austin Butler as Presley and artist Yola as Sister Rosetta Tharpe. It is unclear who else from the cast and crew has been in contact with Hanks and Wilson.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday officially declared coronavirus a pandemic. According to the WHO, more than 118,000 cases of coronavirus have been reported in more than 110 countries and territories. A total of 4,262 deaths have been reported worldwide as of Tuesday night (March 10).

“This is not just a public health crisis, it is a crisis that will touch every sector,” says WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "So every sector and every individual must be involved in the fights."

In a Wednesday night address, President Trump enacted a travel ban on foreign nationals from Europe, which will go into effect on Friday (March 13) at midnight. He also urged Americans to be cautious with their health: to wash their hands and stay home if they're feeling ill, and to get tested for coronavirus if they think they may have it.

Within country music, artists are doing their part by either postponing or canceling both concerts and entire tours, while festival organizers are both rescheduling and canceling springtime events. Among others, the annual Stagecoach festival, usually held in April, will now take place in October, while Zac Brown Band have chosen to delay the remainder of their springtime tour dates.

Coronavirus Pandemic: What Country Music Events Are Postponed or Canceled (or Not)?