Eric Clapton, who previously threatened to cancel performances at venues that required proof of COVID-19 vaccinations, tested for the coronavirus.
The news was shared on Clapton's Facebook page in a post that also announced the cancellation of shows in Zurich and Milan.
"Eric Clapton is unfortunately suffering from Covid having tested positive shortly after the second concert at the Royal Albert Hall," the post read. "He has been told by his medical advisors that if he were to resume traveling and performing too soon, it could substantially delay his full recovery. Eric is also anxious to avoid passing on any infection to any of his band, crew, Promoters, their staff and of course the fans."
The show in Zurich was scheduled for May 17, with Milan initially set for May 18. Clapton's team said the guitarist hopes to resume the tour with performances May 20-21 in Bologna.
Clapton has been a vocal opponent of COVID-19 protocols that were put in place in the U.S. and U.K. He took issue with the lockdowns and business closures that were enacted at the start of the pandemic, and in 2020, teamed up with singer Van Morrison to release an anti-lockdown song, "Stand and Deliver."
Clapton also spoke out about his "disastrous" experience after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, saying that his hands and feet "were either frozen, numb or burning, and pretty much useless for two weeks," according to Rolling Stone.
"I feared I would never play again," Clapton said in a letter to anti-lockdown activist Robin Monotti Graziadei, who shared the correspondence with Clapton's permission, adding that he should "never have gone near the needle" given that he suffers from peripheral neuropathy. "But the propaganda said the vaccine was safe for everyone,” he added.
On his Facebook page, Clapton’s team wrote, "It is very frustrating that having avoided Covid throughout lockdown and throughout the period when travel restrictions have been in place Eric should have succumbed to Covid at this point in time, but we very much hope he will be sufficiently recovered by the end of the week to be able to perform the remainder of the planned performances."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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