Carl Lentz the leading pastor of the Hillsong church group’s New York branch has tested positive for coronavirus.
The 41-year-old father-of-three announced he had COVID-19 in an Instagram Live video Monday night when he talked about the deadly outbreak with Seattle and LA pastor Judah Smith.
Lentz is based in New York where the outbreak has been the worst in the country and there were 25,666 cases as of Tuesday afternoon. Kevin Durant – who has tested positive for COVID-19 attends the church and Justin Bieber and Lentz are close friends.
Lentz said the virus ‘took me out’ but he’s better now.
‘I started feeling so bad,’ Lentz explained. ‘I got my test. It came back positive.’
He reassured viewers: ‘I’m fine. I’m good…Let me tell you something. It is definitely real… the symptoms are so real. It’s kind of like a flu times 50…still don’t feel like myself…I look forward to getting my energy back.’
Lentz’s Instagram boasts pictures with rapper Drake who is a friend of Brooklyn Nets player Durant. Drake reassured fans that he has tested negative.
The New York branch of Hillsong shut down on Sunday, the same day Governor Andrew Cuomo enforced a state-wide lockdown.
Prior to that some churches vowed to remain open despite large gathering being discouraged in keeping with social distancing requirements.
But Hillsong NYC held a 200-strong service that what broadcast to those in isolation recently and it’s unclear who may have become infected as a result.
Source: Daily Mail
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