Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 17 March 2020
Australian TV journalist who met

with Rita Wilson has virus

By ROD McGUIRK cause he met Wilson at need six weeks to recover.
Associated Press the Sydney Opera House The 65-year-old journalist
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) on March 7 and again at said he could only assume
— An Australian television Nine's Sydney studio on that he had been infected
journalist said Monday he March 9. The result came by Wilson.
has the new coronavirus back positive on Sunday. "We're assuming this is from
and assumes he contract- "I'm surprisingly very well," Rita. It may not be. They've
ed it while meeting with Wilkins told Nine by Face- all said it could be anyone,
actress-singer Rita Wilson in time from his Sydney home, anywhere, any time, such
Sydney. where he has self-isolated is the prevalence of this
In this Feb. 9, 2020 file photo, Tom Hanks, left, and Rita Wilson ar- Wilson and her husband since Wilson's diagnosis. thing," Wilkins said.
rive at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Associated Press Tom Hanks have been iso- "You could've knocked "I was having a chat to her
lated in an Australian hos- me over with a feather last and that's probably my
pital since they were both night when I got that call. best guess as to what hap-
diagnosed with COVID-19 It took me a couple of min- pened," he added.
on March 12. utes to reel from the news Wilkins was one of 37 new
Authorities said last week that they gave me. But I case confirmed over 24
several contacts Hanks feel fine. I feel 100%," Wilkins hours in New South Wales
and Wilson had in Australia added. state, bringing the state to-
were being traced, but no The virus causes only mild tal to 171. The increase was
other results of those efforts or moderate symptoms, the largest for Australia's
have been made public. such as fever and cough, most populous state in a
Hanks had been working for most people but can day. Authorities say at least
on a film in Australia and be severe in some cases, 67 cases arrived from over-
Wilson had concert perfor- especially older adults and seas and 44 were transmit-
mances in the country be- people with existing health ted locally while the re-
fore they were diagnosed. problems. People with mild mainder could not be de-
Nine Network entertain- illness recover in about two termined or were still under
ment editor Richard Wilkins weeks, while those with investigation. Australia has
said he was tested be- more severe illness may about 300 cases overall.q

Show goes on: DiDonato, Beczala sing

opera from apartment

five of six scheduled perfor-
mances through March 31.
Accompanied by Met as-
sistant conductor Howard
Watkins at the piano and
principal harp Emmanuel
Ceysson, the pair per-
formed excerpts for nearly
90 minutes Sunday that
were streamed live on Di-
Donato's Facebook and
Instagram pages.
Given that many art-
ists have lost at least two
months of income because
of force majeure provisions
in their contracts, they used
the livestream to ask for do-
From left to right: tenor Piotr Beczala, Metropolitan Opera as- nations for the American
sistant conductor Howard Watkins (at piano), soprano Joyce Guild of Musical Artists relief
DiDonato and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra principal harp Em-
manuel Ceysson perform excerpts of Massanet's "Werther" at fund and Artist Relief Tree.
DiDonato's apartment Sunday, March 15, 2020 in New York. Beczala, singing the title
Associated Press role, was in a suit and open
collar shirt, and DiDonato,
By RONALD BLUM The American mezzo-so- as Charlotte, wore a black
Associated Press prano and Polish tenor had dress.
NEW YORK (AP) — Joyce been scheduled to star in "Since we can't sing on
DiDonato and Piotr Beczala Massenet's "Werther" at the Monday night, we thought
made sure the show went Metropolitan Opera start- let's get together in this sa-
on, albeit in an unusual for- ing Monday. The Met's shut- lon, like they used to do
mat and venue — from the down because of the coro- in the old days, which we
living room of DiDonato's navirus outbreak caused might have to do in the
New York City apartment. the cancellation of the first new days, too," she said.q