A 63-year old top jeweller in Himayatnagar area in Hyderabad who hosted a lavish party for guests, including politicians, gold merchants, and other prominent people, two weeks ago died of Coronavirus earlier this week. Now, the death of another jeweller who attended the party has sent the attendees into panic mode, scrambling to get tested at private labs in the city.
Twelve people, including a Telangana politician, who were present at the birthday party have tested positive. An official from the state health department, who is familiar with this development, said the affected are undergoing treatment across several hospitals in the city.
According to The Indian Express, more than 100 people had attended the birthday party.
“Three days after the party, the jeweller developed symptoms of Covid-19 and was immediately admitted to a corporate hospital in the city. He succumbed to the virus three days later early last week,” the official quoted above said to The Hindustan Times.
“Since several top businessmen and politicians were among those who attended the birthday bash, the incident was kept a closely guarded secret,” the official said.
As panic spreads, officials have started contact tracing to contain the chain of transmission.
“These are the super-spreaders due to which the number of positive cases has gone up in Hyderabad. Despite so much publicity, some people just refuse to follow the rules. Birthday parties, family gatherings to celebrate a birth, or youths getting together to welcome a foreign returnee are proving to be hotspots of coronavirus spread. Asymptomatic persons attending huge gatherings like this are spreading the infection,” Director of Public Health G Srinivas Rao said to The Indian Express.
