Ringo Starr postpones 12 All Starr Band dates after two members get COVID-19

Ringo Starr has again pushed back his upcoming summer tour with the All Starr Band after two of the band's members contracted COVID-19.

“We are so sorry to let the fans down. It’s been wonderful to be back out on the road and we have been having such a great time playing for you all. But as we all know, Covid is still here and despite being careful these things happen," the former Beatles drummer said Saturday in a statement shared on his website. "I want to thank the fans for their patience, I send you all peace and love, and we can’t wait to be back in the Fall."

The statement came hours before the band was set to play in Easton, Penn. Keyboardist Edgar Winter and guitarist Steve Lukather tested positive for COVID-19. The shows were initially planned for 2020 but had been postponed once before due to the pandemic.

The band's 2022 run kicked off in late May and was about halfway through when Starr announced on June 7 that Winter had COVID-19 but that the band would carry on. But after Lukather also tested positive Saturday, the group was forced to reschedule the remaining 12 dates — with other stops in Pennsylvania, as well as Rhode Island, Maryland, Massachusetts, Virginia, Georgia and Florida — for the fall.

The revised itinerary and rescheduled dates will be posted later on Starr's website.

The 81-year-old musician, who was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music in Boston last week, is still scheduled to partake in his annual Peace and Love Birthday Celebration on July 7. Fans are organizing local events around the world to help Starr "wrap the Earth in a wave of peace and love." .

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.