Dead and Company have cancelled their Playing in the Sand music festival in Mexico over concerns about rising numbers of Covid-19 cases.

The move comes a day after it was announced that John Mayer, 44, who had been due to perform with Dead and Company, had tested positive for the virus.

Drummer Bill Kreutzmann, 75, also withdrew from the event on Monday, citing issues with his heart.

An official statement posted on Dead and Company’s Instagram page read: “With much sadness and after great consideration of every possible scenario, the Playing in the Sand shows in Riviera Cancun on January 7-10 and January 13-16 have now been cancelled by CID Presents due to the spiking COVID-19 cases.

“Dead & Company and CID Presents tried everything possible to bring normalcy and to deliver a great experience and amazing music, but with each day it became increasingly clear that canceling is the correct thing to do for the fans and for our crew,” it continued.

Adding: “Please refer to the Playing in the Sand email that will be sent shortly with all details about refunds. See you soon, hug your loved ones, stay safe and be kind.”