COVID-19: After infected singer Kanika Kapoor attends party, seven politicians in self-quarantine
Former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje and her son Dushyant Singh attended an event that Kapoor also went to after returning from the UK.
Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor on Friday announced that she has tested positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The “Baby Doll” singer is the first Indian celebrity to have contracted COVID-19. As many as 223 people have tested positive for the virus so far in India, four of whom have died.
“For the past 4 [four] days, I have had signs of flu, I got myself tested and it came positive for Covid-19,” the 41-year-old singer announced on social media platform Instagram. “My family and I are in complete quarantine now and following medical advice on how to move forward. Contact mapping of people I have been in touch with is underway as well.”
She has now been admitted to the King George’s Medical University Hospital in Lucknow, according to India Today. Kapoor did not quarantine herself after returning from London and instead attended several parties, according to reports. “Kanika has attended three parties after her arrival,” her father Rajiv Kapoor said. “She came in contact with around 350 to 400 people in three parties. Along with Kanika, we are also in isolation.”
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, her son Dushyant Singh, and some other top Uttar Pradesh government officials were among the people who had met Kapoor. Raje announced on Friday evening that she and her son were quarantining themselves and taking all precautions.
Congress leader Jitin Prasada and Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh, who were also present at events attended by Kapoor, have gone into self-quarantine, ANI reported.
Dushyant Singh was among MPs from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan who met President Ram Nath Kovind a few days ago. He also attended a parliamentary panel meeting on transport, tourism and culture attended by around 20 MPs and the BJP’s parliamentary panel meeting during the past week.
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien has gone into self-isolation because he was sitting next to Dushyant Singh for two hours on March 18.
Apna Dal MP Anupriya Patel and BJP MP Varun Gandhi, who were both sitting near Singh during these parliamentary events, have also announced that they are in self-isolation.
Kapoor claimed that she was scanned at the Lucknow airport “as per normal procedure” 10 days ago when she returned from the United Kingdom and that the symptoms developed only four days ago. “At this stage I would like to urge you all to practice self-isolation and get tested if you have the signs,” she added. “I am feeling ok, like a normal flu and a mild fever, however we need to be sensible citizens at this time and think of all around us. We can get through this without panic only if we listen to the experts and our local, state and central government directives.”
Kapoor was one of four cases reported from Uttar Pradesh on Friday. The number of cases in India rose by 50 on Friday, registering the largest single-day spike.