Coronavirus

Roman Reigns opted out of WrestleMania last year over COVID concerns, but with Mania only days away -- and fans set to partially fill the venue -- the WWE Superstar tells TMZ Sports he's NOT worried about his safety.

WrestleMania 37 -- goin' down April 10 and 11 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa -- is always a huge deal ... but it's even bigger this year cause WWE's allowing 25k fans back in the building each night for the first time in over a year.

We straight-up asked Roman if he believes WWE is doing enough to keep him, his fellow wrestlers and the fans safe.

His answer ... yes, Vince McMahon and his team are bending over backward to ensure the event goes off without a hitch.

"I think our safety precautions are second to none," Roman says.

"We'll have the pods to create the social distancing, masks will be required. We'll be giving out masks for those who are forgetful. We'll have, I believe, cashless concessions, so we're gonna create an opportunity where everybody's gonna be as safe as they could be."

Remember, Roman -- who battled and beat leukemia -- bowed out of WM 36 last April ... at the time telling us he didn't want to risk exposing his newborn baby to coronavirus.

But, things have changed, and Reigns says WWE's doing everything they can to keep everyone healthy, while also allowing passionate wrestling fans a chance to let loose.

The coronavirus pandemic's actually helping Baltimore curb violent crimes, thanks to a change in policy ... according to the city's top prosecutor.

Marilyn Mosby, the State's Attorney for the city of Baltimore, joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and told us how an experimental approach to limiting the spread of the virus is paying big dividends.

Under Mosby, Baltimore stopped prosecuting low-level offenses like drug possession and prostitution when the pandemic first hit ... and ever since, she says violent crime is down a whopping 20 percent.

Marilyn tells us there are other benefits, like fewer folks entering the criminal justice system and less crowded jails, and that's why Baltimore is making the changes permanent.

Now, the city's blazing a new trail ... Baltimore's partnering with a local behavioral health service to help folks in need seek treatment, instead of placing them in handcuffs.

Here's a comically awful take from Baylor women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey ...

The 58-year-old said Monday night she thinks the NCAA should STOP coronavirus testing at both the men's and women's Final 4s this month ... all to ensure players' availability.

Yeah, it's bad.

Mulkey dropped the terrible opinion unprompted following her team's 69-67 loss to UConn ... explaining she believes players playing in the championship games is more important than the idea of preventing the spread of COVID.

"I don't think my words will matter," said Mulkey, who's an NCAA coaching legend. "But after the games today and tomorrow, there's four teams left, I think, on the men's side and the women's side."

"They need to dump the COVID testing. Wouldn't it be a shame to keep COVID testing and then you got kids that test positive or something and they don't get to play in the Final Four?"

Players, coaches and staffers at both the men's and women's tournaments this year have been COVID tested daily ... with only one tournament game -- the men's VCU vs. Oregon game -- canceled over the testing.

But, Mulkey believes the NCAA shouldn't even risk the chance of a positive test affecting the final games of the tournaments ... continuing, "You just need to forget the COVID tests and get the four teams playing in each Final Four and go battle it out."

The craziest part about the statement ... Mulkey actually contracted coronavirus last year and seemed to clearly understand the dangers of it, telling reporters a short time after she recovered, "COVID is real. I've had it -- come talk to me some time."

The men's Final 4 action is set to begin Saturday. The women's meanwhile is slated to tip-off on Friday.

You wouldn't know COVID is out of control in Europe and, in particular, Spain, looking at this concert Saturday night with thousands of folks packed into a concert hall.

To be specific ... 5,000 fans showed up in Barcelona for the biggest commercial event in all of Europe since the pandemic exploded more than a year ago.

The fans came to see Love of Lesbian, and there were some precautions, as in masks. As for social distancing ... not so much. Concertgoers did get tested Saturday AM. The way it worked ... if they tested negative, they got a code on their cellphones which they then presented at the door.

The event had the seal of approval from Spanish Health authorities, along with folks from the Fight AIDS and Infectious Diseases Foundation.

COVID has just ruined yet another sports team's season ... Michigan men's ice hockey officials said Friday the squad will have to pull out of the NCAA Tournament over positive tests.

The school made the announcement in a lengthy statement ... explaining the team had multiple positive results within U-M's Tier I testing group.

"I'm devastated for these players," Wolverines head coach Mel Pearson said. "These student-athletes have done a wonderful job all year of making sacrifices to get to this point of the year."

"It's unfortunate. I don't completely understand the final decision but I have to respect it."

Michigan -- the tournament's #2 seed -- was set to face two-time defending national champion Minnesota Duluth on Friday ... but the game has now been ruled a no contest.

As a result, Minnesota Duluth will now automatically advance to the quarterfinals ... where it'll play the winner of North Dakota vs. American International.

Bring on the picks and leave the masks ... the NFL says if teams' draft war rooms next month feature fully vaccinated individuals, it will lax COVID policies and not require face coverings.

The league made the announcement to its clubs in a one-page memo Thursday ... explaining teams can have quasi-normal draft day procedures if all participating members can prove they've taken the COVID vaccine.

NFL officials say draft-night changes for vaccinated teams' war rooms include no mask requirement and flexible physical and social distancing rules.

The league also says it will allow both eating and drinking as well.

But, there will be some precautions for the draft weekend -- which is set to kick off April 29 -- even for those vaccinated teams.

The league says fully vaccinated rooms are to be capped off at 10 staffers.

If not vaccinated, teams will have to adhere to strict COVID policies ... with masks, social distancing and a cap of 20 per room.

GAME ON, FLAME ON ... right?!

The Olympic torch relay has resumed in Japan on Thursday -- 1 year after that stupid pandemic put the 2020 Games on ice.

Remember, the flame was initially lit in Greece back in March 2020 -- but when COVID exploded, event organizers put a halt to the traditional torch relay and decided to keep the flame burning in a secure location in Japan.

But, now that the world is slowly opening back up (mostly thanks to the vaccine), the Olympic fire is going back on on the road.

Event organizers hosted a small, intimate torch ceremony in Fukushima -- where a handful of musicians and dancers performed in front of roughly 150 people who were all following social-distancing protocols.

That's when Japanese soccer star Azusa Iwashimizu -- who starred for Japan in the 2011 Women's World Cup -- took the torch and began the new relay, which will end in Tokyo in July.

Officials say 10,000 people will participate in the 4-month torch relay-- followed by an opening ceremony event at Japan National Stadium.

Magic Johnson just took another big shot -- this one off the court -- to get vaccinated for COVID-19 alongside his good friend, Arsenio Hall and another L.A. icon, Danny Trejo.

Magic got his first shot of the Pfizer vaccine Wednesday at the USC vaccination site. The NBA Hall of Famer says he's been looking forward to inoculation for a while, because he wants some peace of mind after a year of stringent handwashing and mask-wearing.

Danny's getting the first dose of the Moderna vaccine ... and he's got a message for the tough guys on the block who think they don't need a shot. Danny says anyone on the fence should take the plunge for their loved ones.

Arsenio's going one and done with the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine ... and he says his mother is the driving force behind his vaccination. The comedian says he doesn't know what's in the shot, but as his mom points out, he doesn't know what's in her cooking either. Advantage science.

Arsenio made another funny and interesting point before he got pricked ... Barack Obama and Donald Trump don't agree on anything, but they both got vaccinated.

The Easter Bunny's making a comeback of sorts, and this time it doesn't just mean Spring is sprung, it's a sign Americans are getting ready to celebrate Easter like it's 2019 ... for better or worse.

The bellwether in this case -- bunny costume sales, and they're super hot with Easter less than 2 weeks away. A rep at HalloweenCostumes.com, the world's largest costume retailer, tells TMZ ... its Easter category sales are up over 75% year-to-year.

For instance, this time last year -- as the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns were beginning -- the retailer had sold just 49 bunny costumes. This year, with COVID cases flat or dropping in most places, they've sold 171 ... and expect to sell out before Easter, which is April 4.

The easy explanation for biz boomin' is two-fold -- the decrease in cases and the increase in availability of COVID-19 vaccines. Not to mention the loosening of restrictions in many states, and total lack of them in others.

What's more ... the CDC also recently said vaccinated people can visit indoors with unvaccinated people of a single household without masks or social distancing if unvaccinated people are in the low-risk category. Great news for grandma and grandpa heading into the holiday!

Important to note, though, that if no one in your family's been vaccinated, the CDC is still recommending keeping celebrations within your household, and gathering virtually with others. And, of course, outdoor gatherings, if weather permits, are most ideal.

Marco Rubio says Miami Beach looks "unsafe" with all the spring breakers, but he still wants folks to come and have a good time ... as long as it can be done without violence.

We got the U.S. Senator at Reagan National Airport in D.C. Monday and asked him about the state of emergency for Miami Beach, which is struggling to maintain law, order and COVID safety ... amid a flood of partygoers.

Marco admits the videos of spring breakers flooding the streets and breaking the 8 PM curfew is not a good look and unsafe. As he put it, "It's never a good look when you're throwing chairs and tearing the place up" -- but he's also blaming that chaos on just a few bad apples.

Despite thousands of arrests, including 2 men busted for allegedly drugging and raping a woman who later died in a hotel ... Marco says people should still spend their spring break dollars in Miami, if they can do so without getting out of control.

As for a possible super-spreader event -- which Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber has said is a concern -- Sen. Rubio's brushing that off, and told us why he thinks most of the South Beach revelers won't get sick.

Not sure about his logic, but what's clear is the Senator is trying to walk the line between health and economic concerns in his constituency.

Court Street turned into a rager for the ages after Ohio upset Virginia in the NCAA tourney ... and now, officials are trying like hell to keep fans from becoming COVID super spreaders if the Bobcats win again on Monday.

Folks in Athens flooded the streets, climbed lamp posts and crowd surfed after Jason Preston and the #13 Bobbies took down the defending champs in the first round on Saturday.

It was an insane sight to see ... and one that had to make Dr. Fauci's skin crawl.

The Athens City-County health department is hoping fans stand up and cheer responsibly if Ohio handles #5 Creighton and reaches the Sweet 16 on Monday ... laying down a list of safety tips to prevent spreading the coronavirus.

Some pointers include staying inside and watching from home, wearing masks and social distancing outside, putting up yard signs to show support, or hosting Zoom watch parties.

In other words, the health dept. is begging fans to do anything but cram together in the streets and breathe on each other without a mask on.

Will it work?? Probably not -- after all, OU used to be the #1 party school in the country -- but ya gotta admire the attempt to keep everyone safe.

Krispy Kreme is offering a sweet reward for folks who get vaccinated against COVID-19 ... free donuts!!!

The nationwide donut chain says folks with valid COVID vaccination cards can snag a free Original Glazed donut just by showing proof of the shots ... and the offer's good every day for the rest of the year.

Think about it, a free donut every time you step into a Krispy Kreme with your vaccination card ... this may be a more effective way to get people vaccinated than celebrity endorsements.

Remember, former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter joined forces to encourage Americans to get COVID-19 vaccines ASAP ... but they weren't offering free donuts!

Krispy Kreme says the freebies are good at all of their 369 shops across 41 states with no purchase necessary ... ya just gotta visit the store in person or drive-thru.

Kent Taylor, the man who founded the wildly successful Texas Roadhouse restaurant chain, has taken his own life after experiencing severe, post-COVID side effects.

Taylor suffered from tinnitus -- ringing in the ears -- which his family says greatly intensified in the last days of his life and ultimately became unbearable. At its worst, tinnitus can sound like a jet engine roaring inside the ears.

The family said, "Kent battled and fought hard," but ultimately the suffering became too great.

Kent was a master businessman, who founded Texas Roadhouse back in 1993. He came up with the idea on a cocktail napkin and brought it to life with the first restaurant located in Louisville, Kentucky. The plan took hold, and eventually, there were 537 Texas Roadhouses in 49 states, with 10 international locations.

Kent got national attention last Spring when he earmarked his entire salary to help support frontline workers during the pandemic.

He suffered from tinnitus, but it apparently flared up in a big way after he contracted COVID.   There's data indicating tinnitus is exacerbated by coronavirus.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said, "He was a maverick entrepreneur who embodied the values of never giving up and putting others first."

Kent was 65.

Try telling a bunch of Spring breakers they have to pack it in by 8 PM ... it doesn't work.

Huge crowds of partygoers filled the streets after curfew ... oblivious to or contemptuous of Mayor Dan Gelber, who tried putting the brakes on celebrations out of fear it would become a breeding ground for COVID.

The video tells the story ... it could be March 2019 from all appearances, because the crowd was wild.

The logic behind the curfew -- people drink as the evening wears on and getting increasingly unsafe.

The good news and the bad. First, the bad ... COVID cases in Florida have now topped 2 million. The good news ... despite the warnings that opening Florida too early would result in disaster, it hasn't materialized so far, and in fact, the state is doing better than states like New York and California which have much more rigid COVID restrictions.

Cops arrested at least a dozen partygoers for violating curfew and other misdeeds.

Joey Bada$$ has a bone to pick with Mickey and co. -- he claims the Mouse House wouldn't let his autistic cousin into the park without a mask ... to which he calls foul.

The rapper posted a video Saturday which shows three Disney World employees on camera who appear to have been dispatched to deal with a situation. As Joey narrates and gets the names and positions of each worker ... it becomes clearer what's going on.

He says he came to DW with his family -- about 30 people or so -- to celebrate his daughter's birthday. Thing is, one of his relatives is an autistic child ... whom Joey says doesn't understand the concept of mask-wearing and finds it suffocating.

Joey adds, "These guys have completely ruined my family’s trip. We came out here 30+ for my daughter's bday and they turned my lil cousin away, can’t even enjoy this experience anymore" ... going on to tag a number of Disney handles on social media.

We checked Disney's official policy on mask-wearing in their parks that are open -- which, at this point in the States, is only in Florida -- and aside from kids younger than 2 years old ... there are no loopholes for the rule other than eating/drinking, which is standard.

Deshaun Watson insists the only reason he contacted massage therapists over social media is because his usual masseuse couldn't work on him due to the COVID pandemic.

Multiple sources connected to Watson tell us ... the NFL superstar is still adamant he did NOT sexually assault any of the women making claims against him.

He's obviously been following the story ... but strongly disputes the claims made by attorney Tony Buzbee, who claims to be talking with 22 women who say they were violated by Watson.

Most of the women who have filed lawsuits claim Watson first contacted them on Instagram to set up a massage -- which they found surprising considering Watson is a pro athlete who should have tons of resources at his disposal to find established therapists.

But, our sources tell us ... Watson didn't just find these women out of the blue -- insisting when his usual therapist was stopped by the COVID pandemic, he reached out to various friends, teammates and associates to get recommendations.

We're told once Watson made contact ... he put an emphasis on privacy and spelled out the areas he wanted the massage to make sure the masseuse was comfortable and to ensure things stayed professional.

Our sources tell us ... Watson insists he never crossed the line with any of the women and still strongly believes they're being led by a money-hungry attorney who's looking for a payout.

There's more ... Deshaun -- who signed a 4-year, $156 million contract extension in 2020 -- obviously has the means to pay the women off if he wanted to, but he doesn't want to give them a cent because he's adamant he didn't do anything wrong.

Of course, Buzbee said during a news conference on Friday that he has personally vetted all of the accusers he represents ... and insists he's moving forward with their cases to hold Watson accountable, not to squeeze him for money.