Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

‘Together we can fight this virus’: Opera singer Placido Domingo tests positive for coronavirus

‘I experienced fever and cough symptoms,’ says tenor in Facebook statement

Tom Parfitt
Sunday 22 March 2020 18:20 GMT
Comments
Coronavirus: Who should stay home and for how long?

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Placido Domingo, the Spanish opera singer who rose to fame as part of the Three Tenors, has contracted coronavirus.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the 79-year-old said he felt it was his “moral duty” to announce he had tested positive for Covid-19, another name for the virus.

Domingo and his family will remain in self-isolation “for as long as it is deemed medically necessary”, he said, as the pandemic continues to spread across Europe.

“Currently we are all in good health but I experienced fever and cough symptoms therefore deciding to get tested and the result came back positive,” he added.

“I beg everyone to be extremely careful, follow the basic guidelines by washing your hands frequently, keeping at least a six-feet distance from others, doing everything you can to stop the virus from spreading and please above all stay home if you can.

“Together we can fight this virus and stop the current worldwide crisis, so we can hopefully return to our normal daily lives very soon.

“Please follow your local government’s guidelines and regulations for staying safe and protecting not just yourselves but our entire community.”

Domingo, one of the world’s top opera stars, has recently been accused by several women of sexual misconduct.

That has led to several of his performances being cancelled and an apology from him.

Spain is the third hardest-hit country after China and Italy with 28,572 infections and 1,720 deaths in the virus outbreak.

Amazon Music logo

Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music

Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members)

Sign up
Amazon Music logo

Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music

Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members)

Sign up

Other cultural figures who have tested positive for coronavirus in recent weeks include Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Idris Elba and Game of Thrones star Kristofer Hivju.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in