Coronavirus Updates: Rihanna Gives Back, Doris Burke, Rudy Gobert, and More Cleared of Coronavirus, Indefinite Closures and More

Rihanna donates personal protective equipment to New York, new celebs contract the coronavirus, others recover, and Disney parks shut down indefinitely.

Baller Alert is back with another coronavirus COVID-19 update, and so far, things are starting to look up. As of Friday, the nation has a total of 85,356 and 1,246 deaths. To fight against the pandemic celebs and communities everywhere are doing their part. Singer Rihanna has donated personal protection equipment to New York health care workers. 

On Thursday, the State’s Governor Andrew Cuomo thanked the artist via Twitter. “I want to thank @rihanna and the Rihanna Foundation for donating Personal Protective Equipment to New York State.  “We’re so appreciative of your help and that of so many others who have stepped up.” In addition, #KimKardashian announced her Skims shapewear company will be donating $1 million to help families who have been impacted by COVID-19.

However, in sad news, the “Happiest Place on Earth” will be closing its magical doors indefinitely. Both California and Florida parks will continue to pay its employees through April 18. “While there is still much uncertainty with respect to the impacts of COVID-19, the safety and well-being of our guests and employees remain The Walt Disney Company’s top priority. As a result of this unprecedented pandemic and in line with direction provided by health experts and government officials, Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort will remain closed until further notice,” reads a statement the company posted on Wednesday. It added that it “has been paying its cast members since the closure of the parks, and in light of this ongoing and increasingly complex crisis, we have made the decision to extend paying hourly parks and resorts cast members through April 18.”

And talk about paying it forward, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie are donating $25 million to help coronavirus relief efforts in the United States. Speaking of basketball: Utah Jazz players #RudyGobert and #DonovanMitchell have been cleared of COVID-19. Health officials say the two are no longer a threat to others. “Fourteen days after being tested for COVID-19, all Utah Jazz players and staff have completed their respective periods of isolation and quarantine and have been cleared by the Utah Department of Health. The UDOH has determined that all Jazz players and staff, including Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert who tested positive for the novel Coronavirus, no longer pose a risk of infection to others,” The Jazz wrote in a statement regarding the players’ health. 

There’s more good news in the sports world. NBA analyst for ESPN, Doris Burke, has been cleared of coronavirus symptoms since testing positive for the disease earlier this month. She said her primary symptom of COVID-19 was “extraordinary fatigue.”