Akshay Kumar hospitalised day after testing COVID-19 positive
Mumbai: Superstar Akshay Kumar on Monday said he has been admitted to a city hospital as a precautionary measure a day after testing positive for the novel coronavirus.
In a statement posted on his official Twitter page, the 53-year-old actor said he is "doing fine" and hopes to be back home soon.
"Thank you everyone for all your warm wishes and prayers, they seem to be working. I am doing fine, but as a precautionary measure under medical advice, I have been hospitalised. I hope to be back home soon. Take care," Kumar said.
The actor was tested positive for the virus five days after starting the shoot of his action adventure drama "Ram Setu".
Apart from Kumar, as many 45 crew members working on the film have tested positive for COVID-19.
BN Tiwari, President, Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), said a crew of nearly 100 was set to begin filming in Madh Island from April 5 but when the mandatory COVID-19 tests were done, 40 junior artistes tested positive.
"They all have been quarantined after testing positive. Out of those, 40 were junior artistes while the rest were Akshay's make up team, their assistants. Now the shooting has been halted indefinitely," Tiwari told PTI.
After his diagnosis, Kumar had urged all those who came in contact with him to also get themselves tested.
"I would sincerely request all those that have come in contact with me get themselves tested and take care. Back in action soon! he wrote on Sunday.
On March 30, 18 unit members of Madhuri Dixit-judged reality show ''Dance Deewane'' had tested positive for COVID-19.
Mumbai recorded its highest single-day spike of 11,163 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, pushing the city's caseload to
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Trump pauses Project Freedom, claims great progress for final agreement with Iran
Washington (PTI): President Donald Trump has suspended “Project Freedom,” to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, claiming progress in negotiations with Iran toward an agreement to end the war.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump said, “Great progress has been made toward a complete and final agreement with representatives of Iran.”
“Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed," Trump said.
Project Freedom was launched on Monday to escort ships, stranded due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, out to safety. Trump had announced the operation on Sunday and the US Central Command began implementing it the next day.
However, the Project led to friction in the vicinity of the narrow seaway, a key route for transporting one-fifth of the global oil supplies, with the UAE claiming that its ships were attacked by Iran. The US also claimed to have destroyed several Iranian small boats.
Trump’s statement on Truth Social came hours after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Operation Epic Fury, launched on February 28, had concluded as its objectives have been achieved.
"Operation Epic Fury is concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation. We're not cheering for an additional situation to occur. We would prefer the path of peace. What @POTUS would prefer is a deal... that is, so far, not the route that Iran has chosen," Rubio told a press conference at the White House on Tuesday.
On Project Freedom, Rubio said the goal was to rescue almost 23,000 civilians from 87 different countries who were trapped inside the Persian Gulf and left for dead by the Iranian regime.
"This is not an offensive operation. This is a defensive operation, and what that means is very simple: there’s no shooting unless we're shot at first. We’re not attacking them, but if they're attacking us or they’re attacking a ship, you need to respond to that," Rubio said.
