After winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019, Duncan Laurence could finally look forward to a celebratory performance in Rotterdam at the 2021 final this Saturday. That was until he tested positive for coronavirus.
According to an official statement from the European Broadcasting Network (EBN) earlier today, the singer-songwriter will not be performing on Saturday but “will still feature in the show in a different form.”
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Rapid test revealed positive result
Before performing in Tuesday’s semi-final, Laurence did not have any symptoms and showed a negative result upon testing on Monday.
However, he began developing mild symptoms yesterday and decided to take a rapid antigen test. The positive test result was announced today.
Laurence’s management explains that he is “very disappointed” as he had “been looking forward [to performing] for two years.”
Host tests negative despite contact
One of the show’s hosts, Edsilia Rombley, was on stage with Laurence Tuesday. However, there is no contact between the hosts and artists prior to going on stage, reports RTL Nieuws.
After Laurence’s test result was announced, Rombley took a coronavirus test which came out negative. She will be continuously tested during the upcoming days.
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Feature Image: Martin Fjellanger, EuroVisionary/Wikimedia Commons/CC4.0
