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The coronavirus pandemic continues to spread throughout the NBA -- the Philadelphia 76ers just announced 3 members of the organization have tested POSITIVE for COVID-19.

It's worth noting -- the team has NOT specified whether any players have tested positive -- but in a statement released on Thursday, the Sixers say, players, coaches and basketball operations employees within the organization have been tested ... and 3 came back positive.

Here's the team statement ... "The Philadelphia 76ers, in consultation with medical experts and the NBA, received the recommendation that certain individuals from the organization, including players, coaches and specific basketball operations support staff, be tested for COVID-19."

"The tests were secured and processed privately."

The statement continues ... "Three individuals have received positive test results for COVID-19. All other test results are currently negative. We have reported this information to state and local health authorities as required."

The Sixers say the 3 people who tested positive are practicing self-isolation and will work with experts to get better.

The news comes on the heels of the Denver Nuggets reporting a member of their org. tested positive for coronavirus ... as well as Kevin Durant, Detriot Pistons' Christian Woods, Utah Jazz stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell testing positive last week.

Coronavirus ain't alone ... researchers are seeing more and more bugs with the same potential to create pandemics, according to a guy on the front lines of the battle.

Dr. Dennis Carroll is featured in the Netflix docuseries, "Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak" -- and he joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday with a warning about future viruses spilling over from animals to humans.

BTW, Carroll travels all over the world trying to identify those viruses before they reach pandemic or even epidemic levels. He was a senior infectious disease adviser at the CDC and also worked in Prez Obama and George W.'s administrations. So, yeah ... he knows his stuff.

If ya haven't seen 'Pandemic' ... it was shot before this coronavirus outbreak, but all the information in it applies to what the world's going through right now. Carroll told us COVID-19 is NOT a surprise to experts, but he fully expects outbreaks like this will continue.

A 34-year-old man has died in California after testing positive of coronavirus just days ago, and 2 weeks after visiting Walt Disney World and Universal Studios in Florida ... TMZ has learned.

Jeffrey Ghazarian died Thursday morning at a Pasadena hospital after spending 5 days hooked up to a ventilator and battling for his life ... according to his family.

His sister says ... "He suffered a lot and put up a good fight. We will miss our Jeff everyday but we are thankful for all the fun happy memories of the times we had together."

Jeff's timeline regarding his COVID-19 infection is terrifying and should be eye-opening for people of all ages. According to his family, he flew from L.A. to Orlando on March 2 for a work conference, but stayed a few extra days to visit Disney World and Universal theme parks with friends.

We're told on March 7 he developed a cough, and the next day he coughed up blood. He flew back to LAX on March 9 ... and immediately went to the ER, where he also had a high fever.

The family says a chest x-ray confirmed Jeff had pneumonia, and he was tested for COVID-19 and sent home with fluids and antibiotics and instructed to self-quarantine until he got the results back.

We're told the results came back positive on March 13, and Jeff was provided a portable oxygen meter to keep an eye on his levels ... which took a turn for the worse that afternoon.

On March 14 he was taken by ambulance to the hospital and quickly transferred to the ICU when it was discovered his lungs were 60-70 percent blocked with pneumonia. Doctors decided the best path forward was to sedate and intubate, hoping a ventilator would help his lungs heal.

Sadly -- and despite the family claiming he was approved for antiviral meds -- the medication was delayed in getting to him, he took a turn for the worse ... and passed away Thursday morning.

It appears Jeffrey was higher-risk patient. He had a history of asthma and frequent bronchitis as a child, though he outgrew that. He also had undergone surgery for testicular cancer back in 2016.

The CDC now says young people can also be at grave risk ... and this underscores the danger.

He was 34.

Coronavirus has officially infiltrated the NFL ... with New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton revealing he tested positive for COVID-19.

56-year-old Payton came forward with the info to ESPN on Thursday. Payton says he started feeling under the weather on Sunday and got tested Monday. Payton says he has no fever and no cough and expects to make a full recovery.

Payton told ESPN he came forward because "he wants all people to heed the warnings of government officials, stay inside, and behave responsibly."

The craziest part ... over the weekend, Payton was at a horse racing event at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas talking with a TVG reporter ... ABOUT CORONAVIRUS! And, he was definitely NOT social distancing!!!!

Payton told ESPN's Adam Schefter, "This is not just about social distancing. It's shutting down here for a week to two weeks."

"If people understand the curve, and understand the bump, we can easily work together as a country to reduce it. Take a minute to understand what the experts are saying."

"It's not complicated to do what they're asking of us. Just that type of small investment by every one of us will have a dramatic impact."

In the past week, multiple high-profile people have been diagnosed with the virus -- from Kevin Durant to Tom Hanks, Rudy Gobert, Idris Elba, Prince Albert of Monaco and more.

The NFL has canceled multiple events due to the pandemic -- including the 2020 NFL Draft which was set to go down next month in Las Vegas.

So far, the league has NOT planned on pushing back the start of the 2020 NFL season.

Story developing ...

Arnold Schwarzenegger is teaming with TikTok to make sure grade school students don't go hungry while schools close amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Here's the deal ... TikTok is donating $3 million to help provide meals to needy families across the country, and it's working with Arnold's After-School All-Stars programs to make it happen.

As you know, schools across the nation are closing their doors due to the outbreak. And, unfortunately, millions of students depend on their schools for daily meals.

The massive donation will help families in 60 cities feed those hungry students by providing food vouchers, and gift cards that can be used on food and other essential items at local grocery stores.

The food credits and gift cards are first going to families in cities most impacted by the virus ... which includes Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, San Francisco, D.C. and Seattle. Stores like Food Land, Kroger, Giant, Publix, Ralphs, Safeway, Walmart and Target are supplying the grub.

The Weeknd's new album is entirely his own ... we've learned there are no features on any of the tracks ... and he's got a special message for everyone impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Here's the deal ... The Weeknd's fourth studio album, "After Hours," is set to drop Thursday night, and our sources tell us his voice is the only one fans will be hearing.

An album without features is pretty rare by today's hip-hop and rap standards. It's not like The Weeknd's averse to collabs -- he was featured several times on Travis Scott's "Astroworld" -- which makes the decision all the more interesting.

The singer's also got a personal message regarding COVID-19 and his album release, telling TMZ ... "Let the music heal us all during these dark times."

He's got a massive, 67-date global tour, scheduled for June with support from Sabrina Claudio and Don Tolliver at US stops and Black Atlass (replacing 88 Glam) and Sabrina again in Europe.

The Weeknd's already released a couple singles, "Heartless" and "Blinding Light," and we saw him filming the music video for 'BL' in Sin City.

The singer's gotta pretty sweet bachelor pad to practice social distancing ... and now his fans have some new tunes to pass the time in quarantine.

And, the band played on -- FL Gov. Ron DeSantis is digging in his heels, refusing to close beaches to block huge gatherings during the coronavirus outbreak ... despite alarming new CDC info.

You've seen the images of packed beaches in Clearwater, Panama Beach City and other Gulf Coast locations. Clearly, spring break is marching on, undaunted in the Sunshine State ... and many critics are pointing the finger at Gov. DeSantis.

So far, he's only said the state would enforce CDC's suggestion to keep parties under 10 people -- but anyone with eyes can see, cops are having a tough time getting partying kids to toe that line.

Ironically, the Governor's stance flies in the face of some other CDC data -- the fact they're now seeing more and more patients in their 30s, 40s and 50s suffering severe COVID-19 symptoms ... many in critical care.

We don't know if DeSantis ever watched "Jaws," but sure seems like he's a big fan of Vaughn ... the Amityville Mayor who kept the beaches open for 4th of July.

That worked out well.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced folks to get creative with how they kill time, burn carbs and socialize ... and modern technology is clutch in making it happen.

People stuck in self-quarantine or shelter-in-place mode across the world right now are facing a challenge like never before -- how to spend quality time with family, friends and coworkers without being in the same buildings, bars, gyms, restaurants or homes as them.

Apps like Houseparty -- which allow group video chats -- are used to talk, play games, virtually hang out and even throw back some beers together ... all from the comfort of your own couch.

Comedians Joellen Redlingshafer and Anne Feuss took to IG Live Thursday to have some fun with followers with an at-home workout using items from around their apartment.

Some companies are even getting in on this action by organizing virtual happy hours at the ends of the week ... just on the app and not at the pub.

Of course, FaceTime on the iPhone allows for group chats or 1-one-1 connections as always ... but it's being utilized way more now with most of the country on lockdown or social distancing. The Airtime app also lets people stream shows to watch together.

Along with finding fun new ways to pass the time with friends, people are also focusing on learning new skills or focusing on hobbies ... like cooking.

There are tons of YouTube cooking classes to help you turn your kitchen into a gourmet restaurant you can no longer go to ... or just help you make the most of what's in your cupboard.

Gimme an S! Gimme an A! Gimme a D! What's that spell? SAD!!!!!!!

Navarro College cheer coach Monica Aldama -- star of Netflix's uber-popular show, "Cheer" -- is speaking out after the national championship competition was canceled due to COVID-19 ... and it's heartbreaking.

For the few who haven't watched the show ... Navarro cheer is essentially the Tom Brady-era Patriots of the cheer world -- the Bulldogs compete for the national title every year and they're good as hell.

But, Navarro won't be able to defend its 2019 title in Daytona due to the coronavirus pandemic ... and Monica is absolutely devastated.

"This decision was inevitable as things have progressed and our country is in uncertain times," Monica says. "My heart, however, is breaking for the lost memories and the lost time with my beautiful team. I was not ready to say goodbye so quickly."

"I was not mentally prepared for the team to turn in uniforms, pack their things and leave town."

Monica praises her team for their work ethic ... saying their routine was "so beautiful."

"For the first time in my life I had no control and my life has been a roller coaster over the past week. What I do know is that we will be back better than ever!!!"

The silver lining -- you can watch the first season of "Cheer" all you want during self-isolation ... so yay??

Evangeline Lilly is going against the grain in a big way ... sending her kids off to gymnastics and having lots of dicey interactions, because she believes the coronavirus scare is not only overblown ... it might even have some sinister tinges to it.

Evangeline just said for her and her fam, it's business as usual. She said, "Just dropped my kids off at gymnastic camp. They all washed their hands before going in. They are playing and laughing."

It gets even more real ... The actress says she's living with her dad who has stage 4 leukemia. She says, "I am also immune compromised at the moment."

And then, there's this mantra ... "Some people value their lives over freedom, some people value freedom over their lives. We all make our choices."

One thing that she doesn't address .... if anyone in her family contracts the virus and interacts with others, they could spread it to people who might be at risk and, as you know, a number of those people are dying.

She says the virus is really just a "respiratory flu" ... despite just about every doctor saying it's more serious than the flu.

She feels the government has taken too much control over our lives and it's getting too close to Martial Law for comfort.

Quarantine class got a whole lot better for some 1st graders in Georgia this week ... 'cause Shaquille O'Neal popped in their video lesson to say hi -- and everyone freaked out!!

TMZ Sports has learned the Big Diesel is a family friend of a student at East Lake Elementary in McDonough, GA ... and with the kids in isolation over coronavirus fears, Shaq decided to brighten their day.

The students were doing a lesson over FaceTime ... when O'Neal shockingly popped up on the screen.

The NBA legend said hello to the teacher -- who said, stunned, "Is that Shaq?!" -- and kids and parents on the call all began losing their minds.

You can see in the clip ... dads, moms and students all grabbed their phones to snap video -- all with priceless looks on their faces!!

We're told Shaq stayed on for a few minutes ... saying hi to everyone in the chat -- with one parent telling us, "It was really cool."

It's an awesome gesture from Shaq -- because some kids are struggling with the effects of school closures and quarantines all over the country.

A mom went to great lengths to pull a bathroom prank on her daughter -- it's nothing new, but with the added element of coronavirus ... it's definitely nastier and, if you ask us, downright cruel.

The prank starts off as all good pranks do ... with a mother sitting on the can with the door wide open. She then asks her daughter to come in and hand her the roll of toilet paper -- a hot commodity these days -- and the good girl obliges.

However, the prankster mom rubs some chocolate on her daughter's hand in the exchange and ... you gotta see her reaction.

"Is that poop?!" has now been replaced with "Is that coronavirus?!"

The poor girl immediately starts crying and rushes to the sink to wash it off while the mom cackles in laughter. To be fair, Mom quickly apologizes and fesses up to the prank ... but it seems like some damage was done.

Hollywood's movie theater and valet workers are in major crisis mode now that their job opportunities have completely dried up.

We're told it's been especially devastating to valet companies that have contracts with high-end restaurants because with restaurants closed for in-seating service ... that means valet attendants have no cars to park.

Those valet companies also work Hollywood's private events ... and those ain't happening either with the federal guideline of keeping gatherings under 10 people.

Hourly wage staffers at movie theaters are screwed too. Companies like AMC, the largest theater chain in the U.S., announced Tuesday it's closing all of its 630 locations for 6 to 12 weeks. Ditto for the Regal chain's 532 theaters.

According to Variety, somewhere around 120,000 entertainment industry staff and crew jobs have already been lost, seemingly with no end in sight. The movie theater industry has reportedly requested a bailout from Congress to help theaters and their 150,000 employees.

The coronavirus pandemic is negatively impacting almost everyone in the world, but on the bright side -- people are looking for furry friends to keep them company during these social distancing days ... especially families with kids and the elderly.

TMZ spoke with people who run animal shelters across the country, and though they are experiencing challenges like everyone else ... the good news is animal lovers are coming in big numbers to adopt and foster pets.

Nikole Bresciani -- CEO of the Inland Valley Humane Society in Pomona, CA -- tells us ... meeting pets and adoptions are by appointment only now and all applications are online as COVID-19 precautions, but folks are still reaching out.

In fact, Nikole says with kids being home from school, there's been an uptick in families reaching out about adding a cat or dog to their lives ... and more scheduled appointments are on the books for the upcoming week.

The same goes for senior citizens. Randa Richter of SPCA Florida tells us ... they've seen at least a 20 percent increase in elderly people looking to adopt a pet because their normal social activities -- like Bingo -- are all canceled. So, Randa says they want a furry friend to pass the time with at home.

Like Nikole, Randa says there's also an abundance of families with children home from school looking to get the kids out ... so they go visit the pets up for adoption and often end up taking them home. Same goes for a couple with no kids working from home, who now want to add another member to their household ... but not a kid.

On top of this, Randa tells us they've had a huge rise in volunteers -- mostly high school kids who can earn credit for volunteering and now have much more free time, and seniors. The volunteer work includes walking dogs, kitty care and cleaning the facilities.

Finally, Jack Hagerman of the Pasadena Humane Society SPCA tells us ... even though it has shut its physical doors to limit staff and the public to coronavirus exposure, it hasn't closed up shop, and the community has stepped up in a big way to find foster homes for all its animals.

Jack says they've had more people than ever -- 368, which again includes families with kids and the elderly -- reach out and offer to foster animals in need now that it has closed.

Jack says it currently has 180 animals including dogs, cats, bunnies, guinea pigs, and even baby squirrels, and fortunately ... so many people are at home and happy to help. He tells us he hopes the foster pets will all find forever homes soon, especially during these trying times.

It would be a win-win for everyone ... and that's desperately needed right now.