Ed Sheeran tests positive for coronavirus - but says he will gig from home

24 October 2021, 16:07 | Updated: 25 October 2021, 10:01

Ed Sheeran says he has tested positive for COVID-19, but will continue to perform and carry out interviews from home.

The singer announced the news in a video on Instagram, saying: "Hey guys. Quick note to tell you that I've sadly tested positive for Covid, so I'm now self-isolating and following government guidelines.

"It means that I'm now unable to plough ahead with any in person commitments for now, so I'll be doing as many of my planned interviews/performances I can from my house.

"Apologies to anyone I've let down. Be safe everyone."

Sheeran's positive test comes less than a week before the release of his fifth album.

Equals, which includes UK number one singles Shivers and Bad Habits, will be out on Friday.

Last week, Sheeran performed in London as part of the inaugural Earthshot Prize awards, hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Next week, Sheeran is due to join Apple Music's Zane Lowe live to play new songs from his album and take questions from fans.

The seven-day rolling average for confirmed COVID-19 cases in the UK has reached its highest level since July, when the confirmed count passed 51,000.

Health leaders have urged the government to introduce "some kind of Plan B" with emergency departments in a "terrible place" amid rising levels of coronavirus infections.

Dr Katherine Henderson, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, warned ministers that hospitals are "already struggling to cope" and that medical professionals are worried about the winter months ahead.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said this week that new cases could reach 100,000 a day, but Downing Street insisted there was spare capacity in the NHS and that the fall-back Plan B would only be triggered if it came under "significant pressure".

Meanwhile, Professor Adam Finn, who is on the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), told Sky News' Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme that COVID-19 hospital admissions and deaths are rising and the government must not be "complacent".

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The NHS said a record number of coronavirus booster jabs were administered on Saturday, with more than 800,000 inoculations given in the past 72 hours.

A total of 5.1 million third jabs have been given, with around half of people aged 50 and over - and those who are currently eligible - being given a dose.

Earlier this week, people eligible for a booster were advised they could go online and book through the National Booking Service, even if they had not received an invitation by letter or test.

(c) Sky News 2021: COVID-19: Ed Sheeran tests positive for coronavirus - but says he will gig from home