Just weeks after getting the first dose of the COVID vaccine, National Conference President Farooq Abdullah has tested positive for coronavirus as was confirmed in a tweet on Tuesday, 30 March, by his son Omar Abdullah.
The tweet read, “My father has tested positive for COVID-19 & is showing some symptoms. I will be self-isolating along with other family members until we get ourselves tested. I request anyone who has come in contact with us over the last few days to take all the mandated precautions.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted in response to Omar Abdullah’s tweet, wishing a speedy recovery and good health to Lok Sabha member Farooq Abdullah.
On 2 March, Farooq Abdullah had received his first dose of the COVID vaccine at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar.
Omar Abdullah had tweeted thanking doctors and asking others to get the vaccine as well, “Thank you to the doctors, nurses and staff at SKIMS, Srinagar. Today my 85-year-old father & my mother had their first COVID jab. My father has a number of health issues including being on immunosuppressants for a kidney transplant. If he can get the vaccine, you should as well (sic),” he tweeted.
India’s vaccination drive began on 16 January with priority given to all healthcare and frontline workers in the first phase. The second phase of the vaccination drive began on 1 March with a focus on people above the age of 60. From 1 April, the government plans to vaccinate everyone above the age of 45.
More than 55 million doses of COVID vaccines have been administered in India in what is the world’s biggest inoculation drive.
(With inputs from ANI.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)