A BJP deputy in Haryana, who attended a religious event in Kurkshetra about a week ago to mark the first solar eclipse of this year, tested positive for the coronavirus.
He suffered from high fever for a few days and was taken to a private hospital in Gurgaon on Saturday. His test report turned positive on Sunday. The member’s family has been quarantined.
Nearly 200 people – locals, journalists, priests and politicians – attended the religious event in Kurukshetra on June 21, where the BJP deputy was also present.
The event was organized to mark a rare solar eclipse – “Ring of Fire”.
Although the religious event takes place every year, the participation rate has been much lower this year due to the pandemic.
On June 21, residents of parts of Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttarakhand saw the spectacular “ring of fire” in the sky – the first solar eclipse of 2020. Residents of other parts of India got to see a partial solar eclipse, also known as Surya Grahan.
The first solar eclipse of this year coincided with the summer solstice, when the northern hemisphere has the longest day.
Haryana has recorded more than 13,000 cases of coronavirus; more than 200 patients have died.
The state is gradually reopening after months of foreclosure. The Haryana government previously authorized the reopening of shopping centers from June 7 across the state, with the exception of Gurgaon and Faridabad, which accounted for overwhelming proportions of COVID-19 infections and deaths.
Shopping centers in Gugraon are slated to reopen on July 1.
Across India, the coronavirus count exceeded the 5.48 lakh threshold. More than three lakh have recovered.
