Bollywood star Akshay Kumar tests positive as India virus surge worsens – Arab News

MUMBAI: Bollywood star Akshay Kumar stated Sunday he has examined constructive for Covid-19, turning into the most recent Indian superstar to contract the virus because the huge nation battles a brand new wave of circumstances.
India reported 93,249 new day by day infections on Sunday, in response to well being ministry knowledge, the very best enhance since September, taking the whole identified circumstances to nearly 12.5 million.
“I want to inform everybody that, earlier this morning, I’ve examined constructive for Covid-19,” the 53-year-old actor tweeted.
Kumar stated final yr that he drinks cow urine day by day to remain wholesome — a follow some Hindus imagine has medical advantages, together with in opposition to the coronavirus.
He tweeted that he’s now beneath house quarantine and has “sought obligatory medical care.”
Saturday additionally noticed Indian spin star Axar Patel announce he had examined constructive and was in isolation forward of the beginning of the profitable Twenty20 Indian Premier League event.
The information got here only a day after Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar stated he had been hospitalized as a precautionary measure after testing constructive every week earlier.
Single-day infections within the nation of 1.3 billion have been rising since early February once they fell to beneath 9,000 after peaking at nearly 100,000 in September.
Specialists have warned that infections are growing at a quicker tempo in India, which has the world’s third-highest variety of circumstances after the US and Brazil, in comparison with final yr.
Maharashtra, the place the nation’s monetary capital Mumbai is positioned, has been the worst-hit state or territory in current weeks.
The megacity of 20 million folks noticed its highest single-day spike on Saturday with 9,090 contemporary circumstances.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray tweeted Friday that “if issues don’t enhance visibly in a few days and if no different resolution is discovered, we must announce one other lockdown like it’s being completed globally.”
Forward of Sunday’s figures, India had recorded greater than 456,000 circumstances within the final seven days — a rise of 37 p.c in comparison with the earlier week, in response to an AFP database.
Brazil recorded over 505,000 circumstances for a similar interval however with a reducing pattern from the earlier week, and the US reported 451,000 infections.
In neighboring Bangladesh, authorities stated a seven-day lockdown could be imposed from Monday, with all home journey providers together with flights suspended, and malls and retailers shut.
Banks could be allowed to open for simply 2.5 hours on weekdays, whereas private and non-private sector companies have been informed to solely have a skeleton crew of their places of work.
“The corona(virus) infections are spreading quick. The an infection and demise charges are leaping,” Street Transport Minister Obaidul Quader stated in a video message late Saturday.
“In view of the prevailing state of affairs, the Sheikh Hasina authorities has determined to implement a lockdown throughout the nation for seven days ranging from Monday.”
The nation of 168 million folks has been grappling with a pointy rise in circumstances in current weeks.
Well being authorities reported 7,087 new circumstances on Sunday — the very best because the begin of the pandemic — taking the an infection toll to only beneath 640,000.