Ed Sheeran has tested positive for COVID-19.
On Sunday (Oct. 24), the 30-year-old English singer-songwriter took to social media to reveal that he’s self-isolating and will continue giving interviews and performances from his home. The news arrives less than a week before the release of his upcoming album, =.
“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,” Sheeran wrote on Instagram. “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 fourth album, =, is scheduled for release on Oct. 29. The new set was preceded by “Bad Habits” and “Shivers,” which have thus far peaked at No. 2 and No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively, with “Bad Habits” having remained in the top 10 since its release.
In September, Sheeran announced the dates for his upcoming 2022 U.K./European stadium tour, which will include shows in Belfast, Manchester, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Copenhagen and Belfast, among other cities. The outing, dubbed + – = ÷ x, in reference to the singer’s mathematically inclined album titles, is slated to launch April 28 in Cork, Ireland, and keep him on the road through a Sept. 25 gig in Frankfurt, Germany.
The upcoming trek will be Sheeran’s first road trip since his two-year, record-setting Divide Tour, which ran from 2017-2019.
See Sheeran’s post about testing positive for COVID-19 below.