coronavirus

Andrea Bocelli Confirms He and Family Had Coronavirus

"We were fortunate enough to have a swift and full recovery by the end of March," said the Italian opera singer

Italian tenor and opera singer Andrea Bocelli sings on a deserted Piazza del Duomo in central Milan on April 12, 2020.
Piero Cruciatti / AFP via Getty Images

Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli has shared a statement confirming that he and family members contracted COVID-19 earlier this year.

"The pandemic which has shaken the world has also affected — albeit mildly — me and certain members of my family," Bocelli wrote Tuesday on Facebook. "Out of respect for those for whom contracting the virus has had more serious consequences, I decided it would be best not to share the news. I certainly didn’t want to unnecessarily alarm my fans and also wished to protect my family’s privacy."

The 61-year-old singer said he and his loved ones quickly recovered and he's now donating blood to help medical researchers.

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"We were fortunate enough to have a swift and full recovery by the end of March. Given the chance to donate blood to help find a cure for Covid, my response was an immediate 'yes.' A modest — but fundamental — gesture, through which I am playing my small part," he wrote.

Bocelli and his wife, Veronica Berti, quarantined with their 8-year-old daughter, Virginia, at the family's home in Forte dei Marmi, a seaside town in northern Tuscany. The singer first revealed that the family had been sick with the coronavirus during an interview published by the Wall Street Journal last week.

"I was able to be with my entire family and we all got infected. We had a fever, then we were cold, and then we got a little bit of a cough," he said.

"But the fact is that we were all together, all in harmony. We were able to speak much more than we’ve ever been, and I’ve been able to read. I read the work of a mystic, Maria Valtorta. She wrote 10 volumes, 'The Gospel as Revealed to Me.' And then I did some sports. I moved about a bit, because you know at my age if you don’t use your muscles you can forget them. And I tried to live it in a positive way with my loved ones," he added.

The singer said he used his time in quarantine to rest, at first. But before long he "got back to using my voice so that I could keep it up."

Bocelli attracted global attention in April when he performed on Easter Sunday in Milan's empty Duomo cathedral. He also performed a virtual duet with Celine Dion, Lady Gaga and John Legend during last month's "One World: Together at Home" concert.

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