This archive report was first published on 2 July 2020.
On June 15, a wedding took place in Paliganj, Bihar, India, which would turn out to be a super-spreader event for COVID-19. The groom, who had traveled from Gurgaon, Haryana, over 1,000 kilometers away, was already sick before the wedding.
According to Surendra Kumar, the district official in Paliganj, the groom's condition was worsening, but the family did not inform the authorities. He was given medicine by a local doctor, but not tested for coronavirus.
After the wedding, the groom's condition deteriorated, and he was taken to a nearby hospital, where he collapsed and was declared dead on arrival. Investigations are ongoing to determine how many people attended the wedding and to trace their contacts.
So far, 80 people linked to the ceremony have tested positive for COVID-19, and they have been taken to a local treatment center. The total number of guests tested is 400.
India has recorded 604,641 cases of coronavirus and 17,834 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The country's biggest one-day increase in new infections led to the opening of the Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre in New Delhi, the largest facility of its kind in India, with 10,000 beds.
Published on July 2, 2020, by Citizen TV.
