It has been a surreal journey for 35-year-old American singer Katy Perry, being pregnant and giving birth during a pandemic.

On Thursday, she and English actor Orlando Bloom, 43, welcomed their first child, Daisy.

The announcement was first made on the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) Instagram page on the same day. The couple are Unicef Goodwill Ambassadors.

Accompanied by a photo of the new parents holding their baby girl's tiny hand, the post read: "Welcome to the world, Daisy Dove Bloom!"

It also included quotes from the couple, who met in 2016 and were engaged last year.

"We are floating with love and wonder from the safe and healthy arrival of our daughter," they said.

But even as they basked in the joy of their newborn, the couple did not forget about the less fortunate.

"We know we're the lucky ones and not everyone can have a birthing experience as peaceful as ours was," they said, adding that "communities around the world are still experiencing a shortage of healthcare workers".

They also noted: "And every 11 seconds, a pregnant woman or newborn dies, mostly from preventable causes. With Covid-19, many more newborn lives are at risk because of the increased lack of access to water, soap, vaccines and medicines that prevent diseases. As parents to a newborn, this breaks our hearts, as we empathise with struggling parents now more than ever."

To celebrate Daisy's birth, Perry and Bloom set up a donation page. "By supporting them, you are supporting a safe start to life and reimagining a healthier world for every child. We hope your heart can bloom with generosity," they wrote.