"Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston says he's recovered from coronavirus
Los Angeles: "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston has revealed that he was diagnosed with coronavirus but has now recovered and donated his plasma.
The actor uploaded a video on Instagram in which he could be seen donning a mask.
Cranston said he had COVID-19 a "little while ago" and considers himself "very lucky" that he only had "mild symptoms".
"I wanted to announce that I had COVID-19 a little while ago. Very lucky, very mild symptoms," Cranston said.
"So I thought maybe there's something I can do, so I started a program (at UCLA Blood and Platelet Center) so hopefully the plasma donation can help some other people," he added.
In the caption for the video, Cranston said his symptoms included "a slight headache, tightness of chest and (loss of) taste and smell".
"I was pretty strict in adhering to the protocols and still... I contracted the virus. Yep. It sounds daunting now that over 150,000 Americans are dead because of it," the actor wrote.
"I was one of the lucky ones... I count my blessings and urge you to keep wearing the damn mask, keep washing your hands, and stay socially distant. We can prevail but ONLY if we follow the rules together," he added.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide has topped 17 million.
According to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, the US leads the count with 4.4 million, followed by 2.6 million in Brazil and 1.5 million in India.
The US also has the highest number of deaths with 152,055, followed by 91,263 in Brazil and 46,084 in the UK.
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VP Radhakrishnan discusses further deepening of bilateral ties with Sri Lankan President Dissanayake
Colombo (PTI): Vice President C P Radhakrishnan met Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake here on Sunday and held productive discussions on further deepening the multifaceted bilateral ties, housing projects and fishermen issues between the two South Asian neighbours.
Radhakrishnan, who arrived here earlier in the day on a two-day visit, also discussed with Dissanayake the ongoing Indian project implementation in Sri Lanka with emphasis on the USD 450 million Cyclone Ditwah aid offered by India.
Accompanied by a 49-member delegation, the vice president was received at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo by Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage and several other dignitaries.
Radhakrishnan’s visit is the first ever by an Indian vice president to Sri Lanka, officials said.
Radhakrishnan laid emphasis on India’s 'Neighbourhood First' policy and developmental bilateral cooperation, officials said.
“Both leaders held productive discussions on further deepening the multifaceted India–Sri Lanka ties, rooted in shared history, strong civilizational and people-to-people linkages,” according to a social media post by Radhakrishnan.
They held wide-ranging discussions on various initiatives, including the Indian housing project and projects being implemented under the USD 450 million package for areas affected by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka, including reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in the most affected regions of the Indian-origin Tamil community, it added.
The two sides also discussed addressing fishermen issues in a humanitarian manner, considering the livelihoods of fishing communities on both sides.
The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka.
The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.
Fishermen from both countries are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other's waters.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya hosted a luncheon meeting for the vice president at her official residence, Temple Trees, in Colombo.
“Both leaders shared the civilizational heritage of the two countries and discussed the importance of further strengthening bilateral ties, including people-to-people bonds,” Radhakrishnan said in a post on X.
Sri Lanka’s Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa also called on Radhakrishnan in Colombo and both leaders discussed further strengthening India-Sri Lanka bilateral ties.
“Sri Lanka and India are not just neighbours, we are true partners with shared history, shared challenges, and a shared future. It is time we move with greater ambition, intent and trust, to reap the benefits of this partnership for all citizens,” Premadasa said in a social media post.
He also met leaders of Sri Lankan Tamil parties and Indian Origin Tamil parties.
The Tamil parties thanked the Government of India for its efforts for the USD 450 million rehabilitation and relief package post Cyclone Ditwah, as well as other relief measures taken.
A number of memoranda of understanding between the two countries are also scheduled to be exchanged during the visit, a Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry release said.
Later in the day, the vice president also participated in a community reception organised by the Indian diaspora here during which he virtually handed over houses to beneficiaries from Tamil communities, built with assistance from the Indian government as part of the third phase of the Indian Housing Project.
With this, the total number of houses for Tamil communities will reach 50,000, and 10,000 more houses are being built in the fourth phase of the project, an official statement said.
On Monday, the vice president will travel to Nuwara Eliya, visit the Indian Housing Projects, and interact with the local Tamil community.
This visit, which follows recent high-level engagements between the two countries, is expected to further strengthen the millennia-old civilisational and people-to-people ties between India and Sri Lanka, an official statement said.
