'I'm about to be rude': Lizzo asks fans to keep their distance during pandemic

TORONTO -

American singer Lizzo is asking fans to keep six feet away amid surging COVID-19 cases in the U.S.

The Grammy Award-winner took to Instagram Live to share what she described as a “public service announcement” for her nearly 11 million followers.

“I don’t care who you are — you could be the nicest person. You could be vaccinated. You could be quadruple vaccinated. If you see me, please give me six feet,” she said on Monday.

Citing the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus, Lizzo warned that people were being “real sloppy with personal space.”

“If y’all see me in the street, come up on me, want to hug, you want to shake my hand, you want to kiss me on the cheek, don’t do it,” she urged. “Because I ain’t trying to catch this motherf***ing f***ing virus that’s coming back.”

The “Good as Hell” singer also warned that she wouldn’t shy away from “strong arming” people if they come too close to her.

“Don’t get offended. Don’t get offended. But I’m about to be rude about it,” she said.

“It’s not you. It’s me. I'm not trying to catch nothing. I don’t even want to catch feelings, b**ch. You think I’m trying to catch COVID?”

In addition to protecting herself, Lizzo said she was concerned for the safety of her mother and her team. She also advised her fans to take extra precautions as the Delta variant circulates.

“It’s spreading,” Lizzo said of the coronavirus. “And we don't really know details about this. We don't know if vaccinated people are giving it to vaccinated people. But vaccinated people are getting it.”

On Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised fully vaccinated Americans to go back to wearing masks in public spaces indoors, in areas where the virus is spreading.

The U.S. now leads the world in the average number of daily new infections with the Delta variant, accounting for more than 80 per cent of coronavirus cases in the country.

"Until this is cleared up, and we know what the f**k this variant is, and we know who and what... it affects, stay safe, my friends. I love y’all,” Lizzo said.