Actor Idris Elba tweeted on Monday that
he tested positive for the new coronavirus.
The 47-year-old British actor is best
known for playing Stringer Bell on HBO's The Wire and John
Luther on BBC One's Luther.
“This morning I tested positive for
Covid 19. I feel ok, I have no symptoms so far but have been isolated
since I found out about my possible exposure to the virus,” he
wrote. “Stay home people and be pragmatic. I will keep you updated
on how I'm doing. No panic.”
Elba joins a growing list of
celebrities such as Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson who have tested
positive for the virus that is spreading quickly across the globe.
During a social media livestream, Elba
said that he was told to test while filming on location.
“I'm on location, about to start a
film, and the news breaks that this person who is also in the public
eye had tested positive,” Elba said. “So, it was definitely
something I had to do, as I was about to start filming and was around
a lot of people. Quite honestly, my job made me test immediately.”
“I think it made it a lot more real
for some people, it definitely made it more real for me and my
family,” he added.