Coronavirus

This can't be good.

Good luck finding a patch of sand if you tried hitting the beach Saturday in San Diego, because it was wall-to-wall sunbathers.

Thousands of folks hit the beach in the middle of a semi-brutal heatwave in SoCal.

The good news ... San Diego County public health officials said Saturday the positivity rate in the County is fewer than 100 cases per 100,000 tests. And, people are outside, which is way safer than inside.

Still, it's the proverbial packed-in-like-sardines scenario, where almost no one is wearing masks as people are eating, drinking, talking, laughing ... and maybe there's an occasional sneeze or cough. All not good when it comes to spreading the virus.

San Diego wasn't the only Southern California beach that was jammed packed. Check out Venice Beach in L.A. County, where coronavirus is way more prevalent.

A prison inmate in Connecticut hanged himself behind bars, and officials say he did it with the very face mask they provided him to fight off COVID-19.

32-year-old Daniel Ocasio was found dead Wednesday at the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center in Montville, with a ligature tied around his neck. That ligature was from the cloth mask issued to every inmate to prevent the spread of coronavirus from inside.

The Connecticut DOC says he was discovered in his cell around 5 AM, after which life-saving measures were administered ... before he was transferred to a hospital and later pronounced dead. The Medical Examiner's Office there ruled his death to be a suicide by hanging.

Ocasio had been at the prison since August 5 on a 3rd-degree burglary charge ... held on a $10,000 bond. Usually, paying 10% of that amount up front will get someone sprung.

TikTok might be on the verge of shutting down in the U.S., but its American stars are far from winding down -- in fact, they're doing the opposite ... dangerously turning up.

Check out these videos that were captured Friday night from a massive house party out in the Hollywood Hills, celebrating the 21st birthday of TikToker and YouTube personality Bryce Hall. It's ridiculously packed, and of course ... no one is wearing a mask or distanced at all.

Just looking at the raucous scene -- which was full of dancing, drinking and eventually stripping too -- it's clear this isn't safe, but it doesn't look like Bryce and the rest of the (new) Sway House inhabitants really give a damn, and neither do their guests.

It's crazy ... because you literally see a lot of famous faces here -- tons of other TikTok stars and viral personalities and even some reality TV stars too, like Harry Jowsey from 'Too Hot to Handle.' Looks like it was a who's who of Gen Z fame, really. And, yes ... things got wild.

At one point, some male strippers dressed as cops come in and dance on Bryce -- and then later, the female strippers are brought in and do more of the same. Finally, real cops showed.

Word is the shindig got shut down around 4 AM or so, when LAPD rolled through and kicked everyone out. You see this and wonder ... maybe a TikTok ban ain't that bad of an idea.

A woman in Hawaii broke up a small beach wedding because of COVID-19 -- shaming the group for gathering and chasing them off, which begs the question ... too much, or right on?

Check out this video. The woman -- who appears to be a resident near Waimanalo Beach in O'ahu -- catches wind of a secret wedding ceremony going down nearby and busts in lock, stock and barrel ... shamelessly interrupting the proceedings.

She comes upon a group of maybe 7 people -- some of whom are young children -- who are bearing witness to an intimate ceremony between a couple ... with what looks to be a minister and a photog on hand as well. They're not even on or around the main area of the beach -- everyone is tucked back behind some shrubbery, sorta hidden from view.

That itself appears to be crossing the line for the woman, who reminds them the beaches in town are closed ... and what they're doing is illegal. But, it sure looks like they're on private property, and if not just inches beyond.

The woman goes so far as threatening to call cops as everyone makes their way back to the rental home.

There are 2 issues ... if the group is on private property, the lady is clearly in the wrong. If, on the other hand, they are on the public beach, well they shouldn't be ... but they're so close to private property waging war seems like an overreaction.

Brooklyn Nets star DeAndre Jordan is doing his part to personally assist those combating the coronavirus -- by surprising 200 frontline workers with free meals!!

TMZ Sports has learned -- the 6'11" center popped up at the myCovidMD in Los Angeles on Thursday ... teaming up with Postmates to provide the large group of workers administrating COVID tests with food from one of his favorite local joints -- Harold & Belle’s.

We're told Jordan hooked the workers up with chicken creole and his personal fav -- veggie jambalaya.

Of course, it's a great gesture coming from Jordan -- who was unable to compete in the 2020 NBA restart after testing positive for COVID-19.

Heavyweight boxer Otto Wallin -- the man who took Tyson Fury to the brink in 2019 -- says he's fully recovered from his battle with COVID and can't wait to fight again on Saturday.

Remember, Wallin is the guy who bloodied Fury badly during their Sept. 2019 bout -- opening 2 huge gashes on the champ's face. He ultimately lost by unanimous decision, but gained a ton of respect in the boxing world.

Wallin later contracted COVID-19 in March -- but tells TMZ Sports he beat the virus pretty quickly and got back to training hard in a matter of weeks.

"I was out for maybe a week and a half, 2 weeks when I had it," Wallin says ... "But then we started training. Took it slow because we didn't know if it would affect me but we haven't noticed anything and we stepped it up from there."

"Now we've had a few months with good training. I feel like I've improved since the Fury fight so hopefully, that will come out."

Wallin steps back into the ring on Saturday to fight Travis Kauffman -- and another impressive performance could put him back in the mix for a rematch with Fury ... or a shot at other top fighters like Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua.

"I already showed Fury I'm very good ... I'm not too far off from those guys."

Kauffman ain't exactly rolling over -- he's been talking a bunch of trash too.

"If I don’t beat Otto Wallin, I’m retiring," Kauffman told BoxingScene.com.

"And, here’s why: I have a lot more experience and I have a lot more ability than Otto Wallin has. His claim to fame is truly losing to Tyson Fury."

Harvey Weinstein doesn't want to be dragged to Los Angeles to face further prosecution for alleged sex crimes ... because he's already serving a 23-year sentence in New York and feels a trip to an L.A. jail would be a death sentence because of COVID.

The L.A. County D.A. wants Weinstein extradited to Los Angeles for another sexual assault trial, but Weinstein's lawyer, Norman Effman, tells TMZ ... he's gonna fight the move.

Effman says his client's health would be at serious risk if he's transferred to L.A. -- where coronavirus cases have been surging -- especially the county's jail system which has been plagued by COVID-19 outbreaks.

As you may recall ... Weinstein tested positive for the virus in March and recovered, but his lawyer says that's no guarantee he's immune now.

Effman points out the Wende Correctional Facility in upstate New York -- where Weinstein's currently locked up -- has had a low infection rate and zero COVID deaths.

So, he argues, there's no reason to send Weinstein from a relatively safe environment to a dangerous one.

Effman says Weinstein's not fighting extradition altogether ... he just wants to wait until the conditions are safer. The coronavirus outbreak already delayed his extradition back in May. A hearing's set for this week to address the issue again, but it's clear ... Weinstein won't go quietly.

Weinstein was sentenced in March to 23 years in prison in New York after being convicted of committing a criminal sex act in the first degree and rape in the third degree.

He's still facing 5 felony charges in L.A. -- sexual battery by restraint, forcible rape, sexual penetration by use of force, sexual battery and forcible oral copulation.

J Balvin's urging his fans to take coronavirus seriously ... and he should know, 'cause he says he got it and the virus hit him HARD.

The reggaeton superstar revealed his diagnosis Thursday while accepting an award for his "Rojo" music video during Premios Juventud 2020 (think Teen Choice Awards). The Colombian singer -- in a pre-recorded message -- said he's just getting done with battling COVID-19 ... adding "sometimes we don't think we'll get it, but I got it and it hit me hard."

J Balvin -- who has collabed with hitmakers like Cardi B and Justin Bieber -- took advantage of the millions watching the broadcast to urge his fans to understand the virus is real and dangerous ... and treating the pandemic and precautionary measures as a joke can be a disastrous mistake.

The Seattle Seahawks ain't playin' around about COVID-19 precautions ... they just cut a rookie, reportedly all 'cause the guy tried to sneak a woman into the team's hotel.

Here's the deal ... NFL Network's Tom Pelissero says Kemah Siverand attempted to dress up a female companion like a Seahawks player in an attempt to get her past security and into his room.

The problem? Pelissero says Siverand's plan was all caught on camera ... and with Pete Carroll implementing a bubble-like atmosphere for the 'Hawks -- that's a big no-no.

Pelissero says the Seahawks busted the hell out of Siverand's little operation -- and fired him for putting the team at risk of a coronavirus outbreak.

Pelissero adds the cut was meant to send a message to both Siverand and Seattle's entire roster ... saying, "Put the team at risk, suffer the consequences."

Of course, the decision to fire Siverand was a pretty easy one ... the cornerback was an undrafted free agent who had little chance of making the roster anyway.

Cleveland pitcher Zach Plesac says he's been wrongfully portrayed as a reckless monster for breaking MLB's COVID rules during a night out in Chicago ... insisting he was being safe the entire time.

"The media's portraying me and my best friend and teammate to be malicious with our actions when we were really ... practicing safe practices," Plesac says.

Here's the deal ... Plesac ADMITS he and teammate Mike Clevinger broke MLB rules by leaving the team hotel and staying out past curfew during a road trip to Chicago.

"I went out to dinner with some buddies. We ended up going back to his place -- the same group that we went to dinner with ... and we opened up baseball cards," Plesac says.

"That entire night, dinner and hanging out at my buddy's place after, we were not with more than 8 people the entire night."

The problem ... obviously ... is that MLB had put strict rules in place to prevent another outbreak after COVID hit the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals.

When news broke of Plesac's night out, he was killed in the media -- AND by teammates like Adam Plutko who felt he violated their trust and put the team at risk.

But, in a 6 minute and 30 second IG video, the 25-year-old pitcher argues he followed CDC guidelines that night and doesn't really understand why everyone is making such a big deal about it.

"You can't sit in a room all day," Plesac said.

Plesac says he's been doing research and vows to follow the rules moving forward -- but feels he's been "dragged across the mud."

He's adamant he'd never purposely put his teammates at risk -- citing his brother has diabetes and his mother is a nurse.

"I understand the significance of this illness and this disease and I know how important it is that we must follow certain procedures and guidelines to ensure safety for the entirety of the group."

Ultimately, Plesac says he's dying to get back on the mound and play again -- so he can "start shoving it up people" ASAP.

LET'S GET READY TO RRRRRRRRRRONA!!!

Jake Paul's Calabasas mansion turned into packed boxing venue Wednesday night -- with dozens of people blowing off COVID safety measures to watch two people throw down.

First off, YES -- this is the same house that was raided by the FBI just last week.

Second, unclear if Jake was at the home during the boxing match -- but there are a TON of people crowding around the ring and it only seems like a few people are wearing masks.

You'll note the combatants, breathing super hard and sweating in arm's length of the spectators ... a major NO-NO considering we're still in the middle of a pandemic!!

This would never fly on UFC's Fight Island.

The scene was wild -- the fighters were going after each other full speed, without headgear and without refs.

What's interesting ... Jake and his ex-GF were spotted out in Calabasas earlier in the day wearing masks and being safe.

Weird he's not implementing the same safety measures in his own home.

As we previously reported, Jake is training for his own boxing match against ex-NBA star Nate Robinson on the undercard of the big Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. fight On November 28.

If and when a coronavirus vaccine is rolled out, there will be people who refuse to take it for various reasons, but a Stanford Law School professor says such refusal will have consequences.

Hank Greely will appear on "TMZ Live" Thursday ... he's an expert in public health law and says people who refuse to take the vaccine could -- repeat COULD -- be denied the right to enter their workplace or their school.

Fact is ... there will probably be 3 groups of people who will refuse the vaccine -- the anti-vaxxers, the people who want to turn the vaccine into a political issue, and people who are afraid to take the vaccine because they worry it was rushed and not properly tested.

If the FDA, NIH and others show the phase 3 studies were thorough and established both safety and efficacy, Professor Greely says it will be hard for people to make the case they can refuse the vaccine and not be barred from work or school.

It's dicier, the good professor says, if phase 3 studies are less than thorough.

The UK's first major outdoor concert is offering a glimpse of what's likely to become the norm -- venues sectioned off into small groups, enabling fans to rock without rolling the COVID-19 dice.

Sam Fender performed for 2,500 people at the Virgin Money Unity Arena in Newcastle Tuesday night ... marking what's believed to be the country's first socially distanced entertainment event since coronavirus restrictions began.

Take a look ... the outdoor venue's setup includes 500 separate seating sections with metal barricades, which are for groups of 5 to attend and watch the show.

Tickets reportedly sold out immediately, and photos and videos from Fender's concert show the crowd cheering and singing along ... responsibly from their own sections.

This, of course, is in stark contrast to carefree concertgoers in the U.S. packing venues to see Chase Rice in Tennessee, The Chainsmokers in New York, an EDM party at Lake of the Ozarks and most recently ... to watch Tech N9ne in Missouri and Smash Mouth at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver John Ross III has left training camp to take care of his son ... after his 3-year-old and the child's mother both tested positive for coronavirus.

Ross did not attend practice on Tuesday as he flew back to Los Angeles to help care for his family, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

The timing isn't exactly ideal for the 24-year-old speedster --he's been hoping to have a breakout season with Cincy after 3 injury-plagued years in the league.

Ross was selected with the 9th overall pick in the 2017 Draft after flashing some insane speed. He's shown real potential on the field but injuries have been a problem.

He will now be placed on the Bengals' Reserve/COVID-19 list ... and a return date has not been set.

Ross frequently posts on social media his son, Juju -- and raves about how much he loves being a father.

A maskless Tennessee State Trooper went on a major power trip, going face-to-face with a man not accused of any crime ... before allegedly tearing away the man's face covering.

Andrew Golden says this went down Monday near the Tennessee State Capitol building as he was recording state troopers who had pulled over a motorist. He says he kept a safe distance away on a public sidewalk before State Trooper Harvey Briggs -- who was not involved in the traffic stop -- threw a fit.

Check out the video ... Briggs, who again is NOT wearing a mask, warns Golden about cursing in front of him. Golden, who kept recording, asked Briggs "why his hand is on his gun" ... and the cop said, "Because that’s the way it always is."

Golden claims Briggs then stepped on his foot -- all without wearing a mask, mind you -- and then, suddenly, ripped Golden's mask off his face. He immediately called out Briggs for it ... and you hear Briggs deny it as he walked away saying, "I'm tired of you people making stuff up."

Tennessee's Dept. of Safety and Homeland Security tells us it's "in the process of reviewing the matter."