Australian TV Presenter Who Recently Met Rita Wilson Contracts Coronavirus
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Richard Wilkins, a veteran Australian entertainment journalist, has tested positive for coronavirus after an encounter with Rita Wilson.
The 65-year-old Channel 9 reporter ran into Wilson at the Sydney Opera House on March 8, where she was performing songs from her album Halfway To Home in the intimate Utzon Room, with her husband Tom Hanks in attendance. Wilkins posted the following tweet:
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On March 11, as we first reported, Wilson and Hanks tested positive for the coronavirus, leading the pair to self-isolate in a bid to stop it spreading.
Wilson appeared on Channel 9’s Today Extra last week, and following the diagnosis several of the show’s staffers were sent home to self-isolate as a precaution, including hosts David Campbell and Belinda Russell. The Opera House also said it would disinfect the premises to stop the spread, and yesterday confirmed it would now cancel performances.
Last night, March 15, Wilkins confirmed that he has now contracted the virus, posting the below:
There is of course no guarantee that Wilkins picked up the virus from Wilson, but speaking via video link on Today Show Australia yesterday (March 15), the reporter said he was assuming that was the case. He also added that he has been unaffected physically by the virus and was feeling “100%”. Many who do contract the virus experience only minor flu-like symptoms, while others are entirely asymptomatic.
The spread of Covid-19 in Australia has been minimal to date, with 375 confirmed cases, and five deaths. However, much like the rest of the world the country’s government has put in place measures to stop an outbreak, including travel restrictions and banning non-essential public gatherings of more than 500 people.
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