Coronavirus

Kelly Dodd's disdain for COVID-19 and the safety measures around it just cost her a job -- not her TV one ... but another that might've been just as important.

The 'Real Housewives' star was just dropped by a brand with whom she had an endorsement deal -- Positive Beverage, a natural energy and vitamins drink she'd been repping of lately. This isn't a coincidence -- PB canned her as a direct result of her behavior regarding 'rona.

They write, "Our core values of wellness, community, diversity and inclusion should be reflected by our brand and anyone associated with it," adding ... "it has become clear over the past few months that Kelly's controversial views and opinions have distracted from our primary objectives, so effective today, we are no longer affiliated with Kelly Dodd-Leventhal."

Positive Beverage goes on to say while it welcomes a mix of people with differing views on things, there's gotta be an underlying layer of respect ... and they feel Kelly's lost that, and thus -- she's lost them too. It's a big deal ... Kelly was a big deal for them, appearing in several sponsored posts.

We're sure she was collecting a nice check from them. You'd think she'd be pissed, but not so ... Kelly had a quick, snappy response to the news.

She writes, "I'm glad I could help put Positive Beverage on the map and wish them well. I’m also really excited about my next venture in the beauty industry, which is my real passion. Stay tuned!" Sounds like there's no love lost on her end either.

Of course, this comes directly on the heels of Kelly going out and recording herself dining with friends at an OC restaurant ... where a bunch of them jokingly called themselves "super spreaders" and mocked mask-wearing and the virus as well.

She's made other comments about the pandemic that were eyebrow-raising ... some for which she's apologized. KD kept at it though ... and this mighta been the last straw.

Outdoor dining is back again in Southern California, including in Orange County ... where Kelly Dodd and her friends seemed all too ready to celebrate their status as super-spreaders.

The 'Real Houseweives' star posted videos Saturday, showing her and a group of her pals grabbing a bite and drinks at a restaurant in Newport Beach called Billy's at the Beach. Kelly starts out showing her and the group in utter jubilation ... ready to down some Mai Tais.

Soon enough, she's leading everyone -- including other tables in the patio -- in a collective cheers, which everyone joins in on. Some guy across the way also throws in a mention of COVID as reason to celebrate, and another fella gleefully observes ... "nobody's wearing a mask!"

Everyone around laughs it up, and then someone in Kelly's group appears to shout "super-spreaders!" ... and Kelly herself seems to repeat it as she cackles away, as do others.

She goes on to sarcastically ask friends of hers at the table if they're allowed to be there, and if they're doing anything wrong ... to which they assure her they're not. It's pretty clear she's doing more than just enjoying the outdoor dining ... Kelly's mocking the virus -- as well as precautions -- now that things are back to "normal."  FYI ... we ain't close to normal.

It's interesting Kelly's this open with her contempt over the lockdown -- because just a month and change ago ... she was apologizing on Andy Cohen's 'Watch What Happens Live' for comments she'd previously made about COVID, including saying it was God's way of "thinning the herd."

Some Chinese officials have rolled out a whole new way to test for COVID-19 -- and it entails bending over and spreading 'em ... something we can now see in a test run.

You might've heard of this by now, but you haven't seen it quite like this -- check out this video of a Chinese health official demonstrating how their new anal swabbing method works ... doing the deed on none other than a life-size dummy, who is oh-so-compromised.

The doll -- which is weirdly wearing pajamas for some reason -- is bent over with its heinie out in the air and its arms spread out, almost like it was getting checked for weapons at a prison intake session or something. Eventually, the scientist goes in.

The guy dips the swab in a saline solution -- standard practice for this methodology -- and then inserts the cotton-end into the hole. He gets in there pretty deep -- an inch or so give best results, they say -- and then gives it a nice little twist for good measure before pulling out and putting in a plastic sample tube.

No big, right?!? Eh, not exactly ...

While some Chinese experts insist the anal swab test is much more accurate at detecting the 'rona -- a lot of people aren't too happy about the surprise screenings they're being subjected to at airports in parts of northern China, including in the country's capital of Beijing.

Word is this is NOT a country-wide mandated test, but it seems like some provinces and whatnot are running it on their own terms as they see fit -- and folks don't appear to have much of a say in the matter. If they suspect someone's exposed, they can request it.

They can either administer it to you on the spot, or they'll let you keep your dignity and sometimes let you do a self-test in the privacy of a room, before they cut you loose.

The coronavirus vaccine isn't enough to save Coachella and Stagecoach from suffering the same fate two years in a row ... the music festivals just got put on ice ... again.

The sad news came down Friday from Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser. He signed an order scrapping the April events, citing COVID as the culprit.

Hundreds of thousands of fans flocked to the festivals each April before the pandemic, and more would have been champing at the bit to go this year after lockdowns and the death of live music ... the doc says it's just not safe to have people coming in from all corners of a world ravaged by virus.

The move's not too surprising, considering the pandemic is far from under control ... and right now it's anyone's guess if the festivals can be revived in October. That was the plan last year, but it never panned out.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's in hot water following a report claiming his administration severely undercounted COVID-related deaths in nursing homes ... but he's not backing down.

Cuomo says he understands the pain and instinct to place blame, but Friday he adamantly defended his state's Department of Health ... claiming everyone has been doing the best they can do.

He also repeated his belief that the nursing home death count issue is a political attack started by President Trump's HHS. Cuomo claims his state health dept. was following federal guidelines ... and the whole issue's become a "political football."

As for the actual death count discrepancy ... both Cuomo and his health commissioner, Dr. Howard Zucker, claim they've been transparent about how nursing home deaths were only counted if they were in-facility, and that there were additional deaths at hospitals.

Cuomo added ... the COVID-related deaths of seniors are a tragedy, regardless of where they occurred -- hospital or nursing home -- but he's not accepting blame for any alleged coverup or undercounting.

The governor's reputation took a blow Thursday when a report from the New York State Attorney General, Letitia James, suggested state nursing home deaths due to the virus were thousands higher than reported.

The Health Department later increased the public death tally of nursing home residents by 3,800 ... putting the new total at 12,743, about a 40 percent increase.

Tito Ortiz was just elected to city council and appointed Mayor Pro Tem, but several top Huntington Beach politicians are already trying to fire his ass from the powerful spot ... accusing the UFC legend of lacking "honor and dignity."

46-year-old Ortiz -- a lifelong Huntington Beach resident -- was unanimously voted Mayor Pro Tem (after being elected by HB voters) ... which is basically Vice Mayor. If the Mayor wasn't available, Tito would assume control of the top position.

Now, the same politicians who voted Tito into the powerful position are hoping for another unanimous vote -- a unanimous vote to throw him out of the Pro Tem office.

HB Mayor Kim Karr and Council Members Mike Posey and Dan Kalmick have requested a vote of no confidence from the City Council ... which is essentially a move to kick him out of the position and find a replacement.

The reasoning ... Mayor Karr and Council Members Posey and Kalmick say Ortiz has been a DISASTER since day 1.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Ortiz has failed to perform at a level expected for this position and has demonstrated little commitment to serving in the role with honor and dignity."

The report continues ... "His unprofessional demeanor and poor judgement have raised concerns among residents, local business owners, and his fellow council members. The Huntington Beach community expects local elected officials to take their governing responsibilities seriously and we whole heartedly agree."

Karr, Posey and Kalmick have requested a vote take place on February 1.

They're asking for a vote of "no confidence" and the removal of Ortiz as Pro Tem Mayor. Tito would keep his job on the Council.

Ortiz -- a huge Trump supporter who once claimed COVID-19 wasn’t real -- has butted heads with many people in the city.

During his 1st planning meeting on November 5, Mayor Carr refused to let Tito into the building because he refused to wear a mask.

Ortiz also got into a screaming match with a citizen ... and recently called for the boycott of a well-known local restaurant because they wouldn’t serve him without a mask (T.O. later apologized).

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs will have some real-life heroes cheering them on in Tampa next week ... with the team inviting a group of local healthcare workers to attend Super Bowl LV!!!

The reigning champs announced Friday they have hand-selected their guests for the big game on Feb. 7 ... as a "thank you" to the workers for their commitment to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year.

Chiefs president Mark Donovan spoke about the gesture on Friday ... saying, "We are very excited to invite healthcare workers from Chiefs Kingdom, including a number of individuals from our official healthcare provider, The University of Kansas Health System, to be our Super Bowl guests in Tampa this year."

"These individuals, like so many healthcare workers throughout Chiefs Kingdom and beyond, have given and sacrificed a lot during the ongoing pandemic."

The group will be part of 7,500 vaccinated healthcare workers who have been invited to attend the Super Bowl by the NFL ... and among the 22,000 total attendees next week.

"Inviting them as our guests is one way we can thank them for everything they have done for the residents of Kansas City."

Donovan continued ... "It's been an unusual year and season, but it's incredibly special for us to make it to back-to-back Super Bowls and have Kansas City healthcare workers there as we try to finish the job and run it back in Tampa."

Of course, the league is trying like hell to make sure the Super Bowl is as safe of an experience as possible -- including practicing social distancing, wearing face coverings, installing hand hygiene stations and more to prevent a super spread.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns says he was hit by a drunk driver in Los Angeles before the 2020-21 NBA season ... and he was hospitalized.

The 25-year-old went public about the incident Thursday night during a social media Q&A with fans ... when he was asked how he's stayed strong after overcoming so much over the past few years.

Of course, KAT has been through a lot ... especially when it comes to COVID. He lost his mother to the virus back in April -- and several other family members have died since.

Also, KAT tested positive for COVID earlier this month -- but seems to be doing okay.

Towns gave a ton of credit to his girlfriend Jordyn Woods -- saying she's been there for him through it all ... including a car accident nobody knew about.

"My woman has held me down more than the world knows," Karl-Anthony said ... "From my mother and family members dying (1 on her bday in Cabo), getting hit by a drunk driver (was 2pm in the afternoon FYI) in LA this off-season and staying with me in the hospital for the night and helping me in rehab."

He also credited Jordyn for helping him through his current stint with COVID.

"My love for her knows no bounds and I would be remiss if I don't acknowledge the power a good woman can have in your life."

Surreal scene Down Under ... tennis fans PACKED a stadium to watch tune-up games for the Australian Open -- with masks nowhere to be found!!!

... and Serena Williams loved every second of it!!!

Don't worry -- this wasn't a super-spreader event ... because of strict quarantine rules and other regulations in place to fight COVID, Australia is actually a coronavirus-free area.

In fact, officials announced Friday the entire country hasn't had a positive case in nearly two weeks!!!

So, an estimated crowd of around 4,000 jammed into an arena in Adelaide on Friday to watch tennis stars like Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic prep for the Aussie Open ... and it was all awesome.

Check out the pics ... fans were shoulder to shoulder, with no masks and no social distancing -- and no worries at all of getting sick.

As for the players, they were all forced to undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arriving in Australia to ensure they didn't spread the virus ... and most had expressed publicly how difficult that was.

Williams, though, spoke after her match with Osaka and was grateful the rules and regulations allowed her and others to play maskless and without fear of catching COVID.

"We haven't played in front of a crowd in over a year," Williams said. "So it's been a really long time. So this is really cool."

Serena thanked the Australian crowd for "having us and trusting us with your laws" -- adding, "We were so happy just to be here and now it's worth it."

Think twice about getting the dip and callin' the bros for The Big Game ... L.A. county health officials are now warning people NOT to party for the Super Bowl, saying it could lead to the spread of COVID.

Coronavirus experts in Los Angeles made the announcement this week ... saying if people host large gatherings for the Chiefs vs. Bucs next weekend, it could be dire.

"Don’t organize a party at home," L.A. County public health director Barbara Ferrer said. "Don’t go to a Super Bowl party."

Ferrer added, "It will be tragic if the Super Bowl becomes a super-spreader of coronavirus."

The COVID numbers in L.A. are some of the worst in the nation ... with over 1 million people having been diagnosed in the county throughout the past year.

And, despite positivity rates finally starting to slowly decline, Ferrer and the rest of the county's health officials are urging people to not let their guard down -- even if it's just for a few hours to watch football.

"Each of us needs to make very careful choices about what we do," Ferrer said. "Please don’t resume socializing with lots of people not in your household."

If a social gathering is an absolute must ... Ferrer did lay out some guidelines -- explaining the event should consist of only one or two households that have been stable and safe.

Rita Ora went to expensive extremes to hold her 30th birthday soiree during lockdown in London -- paying almost $7,000 to make it happen ... TMZ has confirmed.

The British singer was already in hot water for the November event she held at Casa Cruz because it violated London's lockdown, but this new detail's coming out because of an upcoming court hearing.

According to law enforcement ... one of Rita's reps offered a manager at Casa Cruz $6,829 for the joint to host the party. The manager told police he wanted to "facilitate" the occasion because he was "greedy" after his staff had been furloughed.

The manager also told police only 7 guests were supposed to show up ... according to The Sun, which first reported the story.

Of course, we already know almost 20 showed up for the bash ... which became a PR nightmare for Rita. As we reported, she eventually apologized for breaking the country's COVID restrictions, admitting it was a "serious and inexcusable error of judgement."

A local government official tells us there's a hearing scheduled to decide whether the restaurant's license will be revoked or if other measures will be taken against Casa Cruz following the incident. They are NOT investigating Rita's payoff.

Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly under police investigation in Italy for allegedly violating the country's strict COVID rules to take his girlfriend on a fancy ski trip.

Multiple news outlets in Italy say Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez traveled from Turin to Courmayeur earlier this week, which is not allowed at the moment.

Courmayeur is located in Aosta Valley, which is reportedly off-limits to visitors currently because the region is located in a medium-to-high risk orange zone, according to Sky Sports.

Italy has been hit extremely hard by COVID -- with more than 2.5 million cases and 86,000 deaths. More than 500 people died from COVID on Tuesday alone. And, daily cases are reportedly on the rise.

The Juventus superstar reportedly set up a 2-day birthday ski getaway for Georgina, who turned 27 on Jan 27. Video has circulated on social media showing Ronaldo and Georgina on a snowmobile.

Neither Ronaldo nor his girlfriend have been formally accused of any wrongdoing -- but police in the city of Aosta are reportedly looking into the trip to see if they broke the law.

The feds are putting the entire country on high alert ... warning of a looming domestic terrorism threat from groups pissed about President Biden's victory and several other issues.

For the first time, the Dept. of Homeland Security issued a federal bulletin about Americans plotting to attack Americans, saying there's a potential threat of "ideologically-motivated violent extremists."

The feds feel these domestic terrorists may be emboldened by the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol -- and say threats across the country are likely to persist in coming weeks motivated by several issues ... including anger over COVID-19 restrictions and the 2020 election results.

For example ... there's a full-on manhunt right now for a person who left pipe bombs intended to be detonated at the Democratic and Republican headquarters in Washington just days after the insurrection.

Most recently, a Napa man was arrested after authorities were tipped off about a huge stockpile of firepower at Ian Benjamin Rogers' house and business. They found more than 50 guns, 15,000 rounds of ammo, several pounds of gun powder ... and text messages in which Rogers said he'd like to blow up a democratic building.

COVID-sniffing dogs are now a thing in America ... and the pups are getting their first whiff of action at an NBA game in Florida.

The Miami Heat debuted the virus-sniffing dogs at Wednesday's game at AmericanAirlines Arena, with our four-legged friends screening fans before they could be allowed inside the building.

As you can see, a trainer walks a dog down a line of socially-distanced fans under a big tent and the canine takes a big sniff before moving on to the next person. The dogs are taught to sit if they detect the virus, and the process looks quick and efficient.

The dogs are being used because the Heat are opening the arena up to fans for the first time this season, and it's just an added level of virus protocol in addition to a health questionnaire and mask mandate.

As we reported ... the dogs are being trained at nearby Florida International University, and Dr. DeEtta Mills, who is leading the program, told us how the canines could soon be deployed in airports across the country.

Michael Strahan has tested positive for COVID-19 ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to the "Good Morning America" host and NFL Hall of Famer tell us he is currently quarantining ... which is why he's been absent from 'GMA' all week.

Football fans also noticed he only appeared remotely for his other gig on "FOX NFL Sunday" during the NFC Championship -- that's because Michael was already taking precautions.

We're told he found out on Saturday he'd been exposed at some point last week, and immediately started quarantining. Our sources say he's planning to appear on 'GMA' Thursday, remotely, to discuss his diagnosis. He's not currently experiencing any severe symptoms.

There's also this ... we've learned Strahan's daughters came into contact with him AFTER he'd been exposed -- so they're getting tested. So is their mother, Jean, with whom they live most of the time. We're told they haven't gotten their results yet.

It's unclear how much he'll be working for now. We've seen other anchors work from home while quarantining -- CNN's Chris Cuomo comes to mind.

An Idaho woman showed up to a city council meeting dressed in what she described as Muslim attire, as an example of the lengths she says she goes to just to avoid wearing a mask.

This went down Monday in the city of Lewiston, where council members opened the meeting with public comments ... which brought forth a throng of angry citizens, many of whom were griping about local mask mandates and restaurant shutdowns, claiming it was illegal.

Eventually, this woman -- who ID'd herself as Katie Dugger -- stepped up to the podium ... wearing a bright purple headdress that she later said she got in Peru, but apparently used in public to get out of putting on face covering.

Watch for yourself ... it's bonkers. Basically, Dugger says in order for her to go to school in-person, this is what she has to wear to get by without any hassle, passing herself off as a Muslim. She even wraps the fabric around her face like a burka, to bring her point home.

She isn't using the religious liberty argument ... she claims her aversion to mask-wearing is all about childhood trauma 🤷🏽‍♂️.