Alyssa McMurtry
10 August 2020•Update: 11 August 2020
OVIEDO, Spain
Spanish actor Antonio Banderas announced on Monday that he has tested positive for COVID-19.
The announcement came on the day of his 60th birthday, which he said will be spent in quarantine.
The Academy Award-winning actor said he feels “relatively good, just a little more tired than usual.”
“I’ll take advantage of this isolation to read, write, rest and continue making plans to begin giving meaning to my 60 years, which I’ve arrived at full of enthusiasm and hope,” he wrote on social media.
Other major film stars to be diagnosed with coronavirus include Tom Hanks and Idris Elba.
On Sunday, Banderas was supposed to attend the Starlite Gala in Marbella, a star-studded charity event he helped organize, but backed out at the last minute.
This year, the majority of the funds from the gala were directed to the fight against the novel virus.
Although the Starlite Foundation says the gala adhered to strict safety measures, a video released by the organization shows the presenter and several guests not wearing masks at the venue.
Prominent figures including Spanish celebrities, journalists and even the country’s tourism minister, María Reyes Maroto, attended the gala.
“Music is the medicine of the soul and this gala shows that COVID won’t make us be quiet… music, culture and tourism have been some of the most affected sectors... this gala shows our support,” Reyes Maroto said in a speech.
Mass gatherings and social interaction have been key drivers of new infections in Spain during the virus’s strong resurgence this summer.
During the week leading up to Friday, more than 20,000 people tested positive for the infectious disease in the European country, according to the last available data from its Ministry of Health.
