An Australian TV journalist yesterday said he has COVID-19 and assumes he contracted it while meeting with actress-singer Rita Wilson in Sydney.
Wilson and her husband, Tom Hanks, have been isolated in an Australian hospital since they were both diagnosed with COVID-19 on Thursday.
Authorities last week said that several contacts Hanks and Wilson had in Australia were being traced, but no other results of those efforts have been made public.
Hanks had been working on a film in Australia and Wilson had concert performances in the country before they were diagnosed.
Nine Network entertainment editor Richard Wilkins said that he was tested because he met Wilson at the Sydney Opera House on March 7 and again at Nine’s Sydney studio on March 9. The result came back positive on Sunday.
“I’m surprisingly very well,” Wilkins told Nine by Facetime from his Sydney home, where he has self-isolated since Wilson’s diagnosis.
“You could’ve knocked me over with a feather last night when I got that call. It took me a couple of minutes to reel from the news that they gave me. But I feel fine. I feel 100 percent,” Wilkins added.
The 65-year-old journalist said he could only assume that he had been infected by Wilson.
“We’re assuming this is from Rita. It may not be. They’ve all said it could be anyone, anywhere, any time, such is the prevalence of this thing,” Wilkins said.
“I was having a chat to her and that’s probably my best guess as to what happened,” he added.
Wilkins was one of 37 new cases confirmed over 24 hours in New South Wales, bringing the state total to 171.
The increase was the largest for Australia’s most populous state in a day.
At least 67 cases arrived from overseas and 44 were transmitted locally, while the remainder could not be determined or were still under investigation, authorities said.
Australia has about 300 cases overall.
Wilkins’ son Christian Wilkins was tested because he spent the night of March 10 in his father’s Sydney home. The 25-year-old is competing in the Australian version of the reality TV show Dancing With the Stars, which is being broadcast without a studio audience because of the COVID-19 risk.
Two Nine hosts who interviewed Wilson in their Sydney studio on March 9, David Campbell and Belinda Russell, yesterday remained in isolation in their homes waiting on test results.
Hanks’ diagnosis prompted an outpouring of get-well wishes in Australia and Hollywood. During the couple’s isolation, Hanks has posted on social media thanking their caregivers and evoking his famous movie roles.
A recent post of a stuffed kangaroo and two slices of toast slathered in Australian favorite Vegemite was captioned “Thanks to the Helpers.”
The advice for children to look to “helpers” in scary times is credited to American children’s TV host Mr Rogers, whom Hanks portrayed in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
Hanks had been in Queensland shooting an Elvis Presley biopic directed by Baz Luhrmann.
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