Hollywood actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, both 63, have tested positive for coronavirus, as the fatal virus surpasses 115,000 infections globally with more than 4,200 deaths. Hanks and his wife were tested positive while they were in Australia.
The two-time academy winner was in Australia for production of a film based on the life of Elvis Presley. Hanks plays the role of Colonel Tom Parker, the bizarre manager of the singer, who is known to have mentored Presley towards glory in the 1950s.
A Warner Bros. production, the film is being directed by Baz Luhrmann, the shooting for which was set to begin on Monday. The film is slated for a 1 October, 2021 release.
Hanks and Rita indefinitely placed in isolation
In an Instagram post on his page, Hanks informed his fans about the developing situation. The actor posted a picture of a trash can covered in yellow plastic with a surgical glove hanging outside. The 63-year-old Hanks wrote: "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."
"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."
There are more than 120 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia.
Identification of those who came in contact with couple begins
In a statement issued to Deadline, Warner Bros., without revealing the name of the patient, said: "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)."
"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."
Hanks' upcoming projects scheduled for 2020 release include Greyhound, BIOS and News of the World.
