British actor Idris Elba has tested positive for the coronavirus. The star of hit TV series <em>The Wire </em>and <em>Luther </em>uploaded a two-minute video on Twitter, telling followers he received the diagnosis for Covid-19 on Monday morning. Elba, 47, said he was showing no signs of the virus but had been in isolation since Friday after coming into contact with someone who had tested positive. The actor, rumoured to be in the running to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond, used his high profile to encourage people to stay calm, wash their hands and keep their distance to limit the spread of the virus. “It sucks but I’m doing OK,” Elba said. “I didn’t have any symptoms, this is serious. "Now is the time to think about washing your hands and social distancing.” “Transparency is probably the best thing for this right now. If you’re feeling ill or think that you should be tested, then do something about it. "We live in a divided world but now is the time for solidarity and for thinking.” The message to his 2.2 million followers has been viewed almost 20 million times. Last week, Elba was pictured alongside Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, the wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. She has also tested positive for the virus. At the youth empowerment event at London’s SSE Arena, Ms Trudeau posed for pictures with Elba and Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton. Other speakers at the event included chef Jamie Oliver, <em>Game of Thrones </em>star Gwendoline Christie and singer Leona Lewis. The UK, where Elba lives, reported 1,543 cases as of Tuesday morning. Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant has tested positive for coronavirus, the <em>Athletic </em>reported on Tuesday. "Everyone be careful, take care of yourself and quarantine," said Durant, a 10-time NBA All-Star. "We're going to get through this." The Nets had said earlier on Tuesday that four of its players were isolated and under the care of team physicians after testing positive for coronavirus. The NBA season was suspended less than a week ago because of the pandemic. Norwegian star Kristofer Hivju has also tested positive, telling fans on Instagram that he is in quarantine. “My family and I are self-isolating at home for as long as it takes," said Hivju, 41. "We are in good health but I only have mild symptoms of a cold. "There are people at higher risk for whom this virus might be a devastating diagnosis, so I urge all of you to be extremely careful. "Wash your hands, keep 1.5 metres distance from others, go in quarantine. Just do everything you can to stop the virus from spreading." Hivju lives in Norway, which had detected 1,348 cases of the coronavirus as of Tuesday morning. Elba and Hivju are the latest stars to share news of a coronavirus diagnosis. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson announced they tested positive for the coronavirus in Australia last week and are now recovering.
