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.

Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial

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.