Coronavirus outbreak: Here’s what Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas, Justin Bieber and others are doing. (Malaika Arora/Instagram, Janhvi Kapoor/Instagram)
On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on coronavirus. His speech was hailed by many celebrities including Akshay Kumar, Ayushmann Khurrana, Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt and Varun Dhawan.
The number of positive COVID-19 cases jumped to 236 in India on Friday, including 19 who have recovered and four deaths.
Filmmakers and actors are taking the necessary steps to spread awareness about coronavirus. Recently, Deepika Padukone, Anushka Sharma, Dia Mirza and Nimrat Kaur among others took up the Safe Hands challenge to educate their fans on the importance of washing hands for 20 seconds. Also, they are indulging in several recreational activities to make the best of their time at home.
Also Read | Coronavirus outbreak: Celebs hail PM Modi’s ‘janata curfew’ initiative (March 18 and 19)
Some of the major films whose release have been deferred are Sooryavanshi, No Time To Die, Mulan, Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, F9, Black Widow, A Quiet Place – Part 2 and Haathi Mere Saathi. The launch of Star Plus’ show Anupama and Colors TV show Ishq Mein Marjawan has also been delayed due to coronavirus outbreak.
Also, major film festivals like Cannes Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival and Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles have been put on hold until further notice.
The Producers Guild of India had earlier announced that they have set up a relief fund for daily wage earners impacted by the shutdown of film, television and web productions amid coronavirus outbreak.
Here’s a quick coronavirus guide for you to stay updated: Who all should be tested for Covid-19 and when? | How should you quarantine yourself? | How often (and how) should you clean your home? | What is the Janata Curfew announced by PM Modi? | Who are restricted from coming to India, and from when? | How long can the virus live on surfaces or in air around you? | Still more Coronavirus Q&A Explained news here
Highlights
Baahubali director SS Rajamouli urged everyone to follow the Janata curfew tomorrow. He said, “I request all countrymen to stay indoors as a part of the #JanataCurfew tomorrow. Let’s fight it and overcome it TOGETHER... #StayHomeStaySafe #IndiaFightsCorona.”
“Self isolation and social distancing are the ultimate weapons in this fight against #Covid19. On March 22nd, let us do our bit to make #JanataCurfew successful. Stay home. Stay safe. That is the least we can do,” he tweeted.
Actor-politician Kamal Haasan took to his official Twitter page to stress on the importance of social-distancing amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Also read | Kamal Haasan on coronavirus outbreak: Act responsibly and take preventive measures
Bigg Boss 13 contestant Devoleena Bhattarcharjee spoke to indianexpress.com about what one can do at home during their self-quarantine time.