Telangana man defies quarantine; gets married at grand wedding ceremony
At a time when people returning from coronavirus-hit nations are being asked to undergo a strict 14-day quarantine, a man in Telangana got married just seven days after returning from France. The shocking incident took place in the Warangal town of Telangana on Thursday, as the man broke quarantine to get hitched. Reportedly, 1,000 people attended the wedding. Here are more details.
Man returned from France on March 12; was quarantined
According to Telangana Today, the man is a software engineer from Ramannapet, who works in France—a nation that has reported 10,000 coronavirus cases and 371 deaths. The man returned from France on March 12 along with a friend, NDTV reported. They were placed under home quarantine for two weeks. However, both of them traveled to Warangal for the wedding, a week into quarantine.
Man didn't show symptoms; family allowed wedding
Reportedly, since the man showed no symptoms, the family decided to go ahead with the wedding. The wedding was held on Thursday and a source close to the family told NDTV that 1,000 guests, including VIPs, attended the ceremony. Apparently, neither the groom nor the bride wore masks and no other precautions were followed. The wedding was reportedly held at a hall in Hanamkonda.
Wedding reception canceled; groom sent back into quarantine
After the police were alerted, the wedding reception scheduled for Friday was canceled. District Collector Rajeev Gandhi Hanumanthu told Telangana Today that the groom was made to undergo medical testing and was placed under home quarantine again. Authorities are also sanitizing the surroundings of their home. The incident has reportedly left locals in the region worried about their safety.
Telangana government asked marriage halls to stop accepting bookings
Notably, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has barred marriage halls from accepting any more bookings for weddings. For weddings already scheduled till March 31, the government has advised families to limit the number of guests to 200.
Are people strictly following home quarantines?
Telangana has made several quarantine facilities available for those returning from abroad. However, since state-run facilities faced complaints of poor conditions, some people were allowed to self-quarantine at home. Interestingly, NDTV highlighted that people may not be following strict home quarantines. In one case, a woman in Ranga Reddy district facing home quarantine allowed a domestic help inside her home and also ventured outdoors.
India reports 223 COVID-19 cases; 5 dead
In Telangana, 17 cases of the novel coronavirus disease have been reported, including nine foreigners. Across India, 223 total cases have been reported. Out of these, 22 patients have recovered and one has migrated. Five people have also died from the disease in Kalaburagi (Karnataka), Delhi, Mumbai (Maharashtra), Nawanshahr (Punjab), and Jaipur (Rajasthan). The death in Jaipur involves a 69-year-old Italian tourist.
What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 was first reported in China's Wuhan city in December 2019. The disease is caused by a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. The virus attacks a host's respiratory system triggering symptoms such as fever, cough, and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, it may cause pneumonia, multiple organ failure, or death. COVID-19 has spread to at least 150 countries, killing over 10,000 and sickening 2.5 lakh.
