More than 100 people have tested positive for coronovirus in India after attending a wedding and the funeral for the groom, who tied the knot while sick with COVID-19.
Bihar state officials said on Wednesday that the 26-year-old groom had virus symptoms when he was married on 15 June to a village in Patna region, died two days later and then cremated without a coronavirus test.
“So far 111 people who either attended the wedding or the funeral have tested positive” “All others have been identified and isolated.” said Raj Kishor Chaudhary, chief medical officer in Patna, the state capital.
Doctors are not sure that the unnamed groom was the source of the disease as he was cremated before the test. He was quickly admitted to hospital, however his family had him discharge and facilitated the wedding with more than 300 visitors.
He died at his home after two days, with almost 200 individuals going to the funeral, and some had attended both. None of the groom’s relatives, including his bride, tested positive, officials said.
More than 50 guests are not allowed to attend weddings in India, and the risk of spreading coronovirus during the funeral is limited to only 20 people.
The epidemic is killing 1.3 billion people throughout the South Asian country, with around 600,000 infections and 17,000 deaths.
One of the poorest areas of the country and home to 120 million people, Bihar has reported around 10,000 cases with 62 deaths.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has eased lockdown restrictions despite a surge in cases.
“We have become lackadaisical,” he said.
“I again want you all to observe precautions in the same way as under lockdown.”