Virus lockdown: Liam Payne can't meet his son as little one isolates with his mother Cheryl

As the coronavirus outbreak is far from being contained, people are going through emotional distress due to lockdown measures. The former One Direction star Liam Payne, 26, is struggling with separation from his son Bear, three, who is currently residing with the singer's ex Cheryl.

Liam Payne is currently separated from his son because of lockdown imposed by the UK government in an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus pandemic. According to The Sun, it has been weeks that he has not his seen little one and was forced to miss his baby's birthday on March 26.

In conversation with the abovementioned publication, Payne talked about how he is managing to stay in touch while he is in lockdown in London miles away from his son.

"Me and Cheryl had a very open conversation about visiting, but it's difficult. It was right around his birthday that it (lockdown) happened. It was one of the first times I was in the ­country for his birthday and I was ready to go over and I just thought, "I don't know how I feel about it," Payne said.

For now, the only way to communicate is through FaceTime. However, there are times when Bear wants to talk on the video call and sometimes he doesn't.

He goes on to say that he has immense respect for key workers who are currently living away from the family or self-isolating themselves due to their nature of work. The healthcare workers and essential public service managers, delivery people are currently hard at work amid the pandemic in order to keep the world going on and help those at home get through.

"I have a new-found respect for people who have these jobs that mean they have to miss their kids a lot," Payne said.

Payne also "regrets" for wishing to take a break from work or hectic schedules during the tours.

"For quite some time I've been like, 'It would be nice to have a bit of a break', and boy, do I regret saying that," he said.

The "Strip that Down" singer is currently dating American model Maya Henry after breaking up with Cheryl, with whom he was married for two years.