Ronan Keating has apologised after sharing an Instagram post with an incorrect claim about the impact of coronavirus on Singapore’s ports.
The former Boyzone singer, 43, posted a photo of ships outside a port in Singapore on Sunday and said that they had not been able to dock due to concerns over the COVID-19 virus.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore then hit back with an Instagram post of their own, which debunked Keating’s assertion that ships had been turned away because of the virus - and even made a playful reference to one of the star’s solo hits.
“We are glad that @rokeating caught a glimpse of the busy Port of Singapore,” the Authority wrote alongside another picture of ships outside a harbour.
“Every 2-3 minutes, a ship arrives or leaves Singapore. At any one time, there are about 1,000 ships in the Port!
“To date, no cargo vessel has been turned away due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We have taken enhanced precautions while ships continue to berth at our port.
“We are working round-the-clock to ensure that it is business as usual at #MaritimeSG.”
They signed off with the hashtag “#WeCouldntSayNothingAtAll” in a nod to Keating’s debut solo single.
The singer has since amended the caption of his post and apologised “if I offended anyone.”
“I recently posted this pic after being told by a local in Singapore that the reason they were all parked up was due to the Virus,” he wrote.
“I have been recently informed that this is not true and that this is how the harbour always looks. I apologise if I offended anyone in my post you all know I would never purposefully do that.
“To all you haters out there, get on with your short life. I went to Singapore and did a gig when others were cancelling and the same in Jakarta. I feel very blessed to be able to do what I do.”
He signed off with a message of “peace and love to all” and urged followers to “wash your hands” in a nod to health advice about containing the spread of the virus.
With reporting by Press Association.
