Coronavirus

These images tell a sad story, that much of the world may not get out of the COVID grip anytime soon, because hundreds of angry Brits took to the streets to protest in reckless fashion.

The huge crowd gathered at St. George's Hall in the Liverpool City Centre to protest the lockdown that's currently in place as coronavirus explodes both in England and many other parts of the world, including, of course, the USA.

Face masks were almost non-existent and there was zero social distancing, as protesters expressed their displeasure with the restrictions. There was also an anti-vax element to the demonstration.

Police were out in force, as the Merseyside Police Dept. issued a statement, calling the demonstrators "selfish and irresponsible."

Sixteen people were arrested for breaching public order, as well as violating coronavirus rules than prohibit mass gatherings.

The British government has issued stay-at-home orders, with exceptions for essential runs.

PGA superstar Bubba Watson says golf is BOOMING in popularity right now all because of COVID -- and it's so huge, equipment companies can barely keep up with the demand!

"Golf is at an all-time high because of the virus," Watson tells TMZ Sports ... "There's more people playing the game, there's more equipment being sold."

Watson isn't trying to be insensitive -- he's just pointing out the facts ... people are looking for safe activities to do during the pandemic and golf checks a lot of those boxes since it's outdoors and you can easily social distance while playing.

Watson -- who's promoting the "Golf Clash" mobile game -- says even interest in golf VIDEO GAMES is through the roof right now.

In fact, Watson says golf equipment companies are "a little behind"  the demand -- and they're struggling to churn out enough product to keep everyone happy!

"They're trying to push through and it's hard to get components to make golf clubs. It's hard to get different golf equipment to be made because of some of the slow down."

President Trump has surfaced with great news -- the whole country will be getting the COVID-19 vaccine next spring, unless you live in NY ... where all you're getting is screwed by the Trump v. Cuomo war.

The President made his first public remarks since the election, Friday at the White House ... and proudly announced Operation Warp Speed is ready to distribute Pfizer's vaccine as soon as it gets FDA approval. He's projecting delivery will begin in April.

Great news, right? Well, POTUS also served up a side dish of petty with the vaccine. He said NY state will NOT be getting the vaccine because Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he doesn't want it.

Trump was referring to comments the Gov. has made about not trusting a vaccine if the Trump administration rushes its approval. Well, The Prez is taking him at his word, and went on to rip Cuomo for his COVID-19 response in the Empire State.

The good news for NYers is there's still time for both men to squash the beef, and Trump did say everything could change if Cuomo calls and asks for the vaccine. Translation: Kiss the ring, then you'll get the meds.

However, the Governor's Office tells TMZ, "Trump has failed with his pandemic response, lied to the Americans about how bad it was when he knew otherwise & was fired by voters for his incompetence. Governor Cuomo is fighting to ensure the communities hit hardest by COVID get the vaccine."

Doesn't sound like an attempt to make peace.

The wild card, of course, is President-elect Joe Biden, who it appears WILL be in the Oval Office come April -- so, maybe Cuomo doesn't see a need to bow to Trump.

While Trump did not take any questions from reporters, he did make one reference to the election, saying, "This administration will not be going to a lockdown. Who knows which administration it will be ... I guess time will tell."

It's the closest he's come to acknowledging defeat, but still ... NOT a concession speech.

The Cleveland Browns are the latest NFL team to run into COVID troubles ... with the team announcing it has shut down its facility after a player tested positive for coronavirus.

The Browns -- who are set to host the Houston Texans on Sunday -- did not disclose which player contracted COVID, but stated he was immediately sent home to self-isolate, according to the team spokesperson.

The team will also conduct contact tracing in hopes of preventing a potential spread throughout the organization.

"The team will continue to hold meetings remotely (part of the NFL-NFLPA intensive protocol) and will consult with the league and medical experts on the appropriate next steps as the health and safety of our players, coaches, staff and the entire community remains our highest priority," the team said in a statement.

The Browns ran into issues when a staff member tested positive last week. Baker Mayfield was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list as a result ... but the QB never personally tested positive.

Cleveland joins a growing list of teams forced to temporarily shut down -- including the 49ers, Titans, Vikings and more.

"Your opinion can eat sh*t."

Emily Cave -- the widowed wife of late Edmonton Oilers center Colby Cave -- does NOT want to hear your complaints about COVID-19 protocol ... explaining the alternatives to the safety measures are so much worse.

"My 25 year old husband died alone," Emily said in a powerful statement Thursday.

"I have no clue what his last breath was like. I have yet to have a funeral because of this global pandemic. So for goodness sake, wear a mask. Wash your freaking hands."

As we previously reported, Colby tragically died back in April after emergency surgery to remove a colloid cyst from his brain was unsuccessful.

Emily was devastated over it all ... and says the coronavirus pandemic made everything infinitely worse.

She wrote Thursday that she couldn't be with Colby during his post-operation period ... saying, she had to get a phone call that he had died rather than "being there holding his hand."

Now, she's BEGGING people to just simply follow COVID-19 restrictions ... insisting they'll help others avoid a tragic situation similar to hers.

"Today I hit my breaking point with Alberta making new restrictions," Emily said. "I personally see and hear so many people complaining. I understand a lot of people feel that they won't get it and if they did they would survive it."

"However, what would happen if your loved one became sick very fast with something else, was in a car accident, or was dying ... and then because of the COVID restrictions you weren't allowed to be with them?!?!"

Mohamed Salah -- one of the best soccer players in the world -- has tested positive for coronavirus, the Egyptian Football Association confirmed.

The 28-year-old Egyptian superstar will now begin a self-isolation period -- where he must remain until he's cleared to return to action by medical officials.

"The medical swab conducted on the mission of our first national football team showed that our international player, Mohamed Salah, the star of Liverpool, was infected with the Coronavirus," the EFA said in a statement,.

Officials say Salah is not showing any symptoms -- and no other members of the Egyptian team have tested positive.

Salah is a beast on the pitch -- he's won the Golden Boot for leading the Premiere League in scoring in two separate seasons ('17-'18, '18-'19) and was the BBC African Footballer of the year in 2017 and 2018.

Costco is giving members a new thing to bitch, moan and fight about ... anyone who can't wear a face mask, has to wear a face shield.

The superstore's nationwide face-covering policy update goes into effect Monday, and the new rules require all members, guests and employees to shield their faces, even if they have a medical condition preventing them from wearing a mask.

Costco was one of the first retailers to roll out mask mandates early on in the coronavirus pandemic, but originally folks with medical conditions could get a pass on face coverings.

It'll be interesting to see if the change sparks a new round of Costco shoppers losing their minds over face shields ... like this guy who got booted from a Costco back in May after refusing to mask up.

In a year where so many good things have gone virtual, here's one tradition carrying on just like normal ... the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree!!!

The 75-foot-tall Norway Spruce was chopped down Thursday and loaded onto a huge flatbed trailer in Oneonta, NY ... about 170 miles north of its Midtown Manhattan destination.

The massive tree will be erected Saturday, though the popular lighting ceremony isn't until December 1.

Rockefeller Center organizers, along with Mayor Bill de Blasio, have yet to reveal exactly how they'll deal with holiday crowds wanting to gather for the event or see the tree up close, as the city's facing another crisis with rising COVID-19 cases.

The Mayor simply says they will take extra precautions to make sure it's safe for people to visit the spectacle in person ... which he says still evokes a "childlike wonder" for him.

Great news for John Elway ... the Denver Broncos legend has recovered from his bout with COVID and is set to return to the team facility on Friday.

60-year-old Elway tested positive for coronavirus on Nov. 3rd after experiencing what the team described as "minor symptoms."

He's been working from home and self-isolating ever since, the team says.

But now, things have taken a turn for the better, according to KUSA's Mike Klis.

"GM John Elway has recovered nicely from COVID and is cleared to return to his office tomorrow," Klis said.

He also noted Broncos CEO Joe Ellis -- who also tested positive for COVID last week -- "is still battling symptoms and is not yet cleared to return.

For what it's worth, the team believes both Elway and 61-year-old Ellis contracted the virus OUTSIDE the team facility.

The Broncos have a game this weekend against the Las Vegas Raiders, a team that's also had some recent COVID drama.

COVID-19 can't stop Urban Meyer ... the college football coaching legend just revealed he beat the virus after contracting it recently.

The former Ohio State head man said he was fortunate ... and only experienced minor effects.

"I did deal with it," the 56-year-old told WBNS 10TV this week. "I've just recently gotten over it. I was relatively symptom-free."

Meyer -- who now works as a CFB analyst for Fox Sports -- says his positive test was the reason he and his other co-hosts had to bail on their “Big Noon Kickoff” pregame show earlier this month.

Urban added he doesn't believe his diagnosis affected any of his co-workers.

"The good thing is none of my partners and teammates had it," Meyer said, "and we're going to be back at it this weekend."

The defending NBA champs will be playing home games in front of empty seats to start off the 2020-21 season ... with the Los Angeles Lakers keeping fans home "until further notice."

The team made the announcement Wednesday ... saying it consulted with state and local health officials to come up with its plan for games as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

"The health and safety of our fans, players, staff and community are our main priority and we will continue to work with state and local officials to come up with a plan to safely welcome fans back to STAPLES Center in adherence with local, State, and NBA guidelines," the Lakers said in a statement.

"We appreciate your continued support and look forward to coming together, when it is safe to do so, to celebrate the raising of our banner and the quest for another NBA championship.

FYI, L.A. -- like many places across the country -- is seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases.

The 2020-21 schedule will be released soon ... and the season starts Dec. 22.

The president of Notre Dame is "very disappointed" at students who broke COVID protocol and stormed the field when the football team beat Clemson this weekend ... and now there will be repercussions.

Tons of students rushed onto the field Saturday night when the #4 ranked Fighting Irish defeated the #1 ranked Clemson Tigers in a double-overtime thriller -- getting up close and personal with players, coaches and staff. It was a COVID-protocol nightmare.

Now, ND president Rev. John. I. Jenkins has sent a letter to the student body spelling out a NEW protocol -- and threatening to essentially ban students next semester if they don't comply.

"As exciting as last night's victory against Clemson was, it was very disappointing to see evidence of widespread disregard of our health protocols at many gatherings over the weekend," Rev. Jenkins said in a letter sent late Sunday.

Jenkins laid out the following steps:

1) "Because we are now even more concerned about the potential for contagion in your home communities as you prepare to travel home at the end of the semester, the University will place a registration hold on the record of any student fails to appear for testing when asked to do so. A Registration hold would mean that you are unable to matriculate or register for classes next semester or receive a transcript."

2) "Furthermore, you may not leave the South Bend area until you receive the results of your exit test. Again, should we discover that you have left the area, we will place a registration hold on your record."

3) "There will be zero tolerance for any gatherings that do not comport with our health and safety guidelines, on or off campus. Those found responsible for hosting such gatherings will face severe sections."

Rev. Jenkins explained "the grave circumstances of this pandemic compel us to take these exceptional measures."

He finished by telling the students to look to the football team for inspiration on how to get through these challenging times.

"Our football team showed us how to finish strong on Saturday night. Please finish the semester strong by wearing a mask, maintaining physical distance, washing your hands and completing your daily health check."

"Furthermore, as outlined above, you must, if you wish to return as a student in the spring semester, appear for testing were notified and not depart until you receive the test result."

Figuring out what to wear to a concert will take a backseat to your COVID-19 status when tours resume in 2021 -- Ticketmaster's exploring a safety plan to help welcome fans back.

The ticket sales company is reportedly in the early stages of developing a plan that event operators can use as a safety measure to mitigate the spread of the virus. One path TM is actively exploring and working to develop ... is a framework for syncing with third party healthcare providers to link COVID vaccine status and/or test results to fans' digital tickets for event entry. It's ultimately up to event organizers to figure out ways to safely bring back fans to live events ... and this is one idea Ticketmaster's spitballing.

The proposed plan was reported by Billboard, and comes on the heels of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announcing its coronavirus vaccine showing a 90% efficacy rate. That's giving concert venues and artists hope the industry can mount a comeback.

Ticketmaster would work with third-party health apps and independent labs, and says data sent to them will be done so in a secure, encrypted way. Ticketmaster would NOT have access to concertgoers' medical records.

Welcome to the new normal.