Tom Hanks Got Sick in Australia, Where Coronavirus Testing Is a Snap

SYDNEY, Australia — Tom Hanks had a cold, or so he thought: slight fever, body aches, chills, the usual.

In the United States, those symptoms may not be enough to get tested for the new coronavirus. But he and his wife, Rita Wilson, who also felt sick, weren’t at home — they were in Australia.

Here, testing is free and widely available, thanks to early and coordinated planning for a pandemic. On Thursday, Mr. Hanks said he and his wife had seen the efforts firsthand, as they tested positive for the virus.

“The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed,” Mr. Hanks wrote in an announcement he posted on Twitter, choosing capital letters for his new acquaintances. “We Hanks’ will be tested, observed and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires.”