G7 coronavirus scare: No health risk from Indian team, say sources
THE Indian delegation at a G7 ministers meeting in London does not pose a health risk to other dignitaries, official sources have told dpa, after the group were reportedly exposed to positive coronavirus cases.
India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar tweeted on Wednesday he had been exposed to “possible Covid-19 positive cases” on Tuesday and would now hold all his meetings virtually.
British broadcaster Sky reported that there had been two positive Covid-19 tests among the Indian delegation, citing unnamed sources.
“As a measure of abundant caution and also out of consideration for others, I decided to conduct my engagements in the virtual mode. That will be the case with the G7 meeting today as well,” Jaishankar tweeted. nder British laws, self-isolation after coronavirus exposure requires people being quarantined for 10 days.
Members of India’s team have held other meetings this week, before news broke of the possible coronavirus infection.
However, face masks were worn and social distancing was in place during those meetings, the official said.
Jaishankar was pictured meeting Britain’s Home Secretary Priti Patel on Tuesday, but it is understood Patel is also not having to self-isolate because the meeting had been held in line with existing rules.
A senior British diplomat told dpa: “We deeply regret that Foreign Minister Dr Jaishankar will be unable to attend the meeting today in person and will now attend virtually, but this is exactly why we have put in place strict Covid protocols and daily testing.”
Although it is not a G7 member, India was invited to attend the first in-person meeting of the group’s foreign ministers in more than two years in London this week.
Representatives from the S, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the European
nion are meeting with Britain’s foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, on Wednesday.
Delegates from Australia, South Africa, South Korea and this year’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) chair Brunei have also been invited.
Images taken throughout the week have shown the ministers wearing face masks, standing two metres apart from each other and greeting one another with elbowbumps.
As well as attendees wearing face masks, plastic screens are in place at the meetings and daily testing is being held throughout the week.
The nations’ representatives are discussing how to recover from the coronavirus outbreak in the all-day meeting on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, Raab met with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne for bilateral talks.
This week’s meetings are taking place in London ahead of the G7 summit in Cornwall, England, next month.
Separately, Britain’s vaccines minister confirmed reports that multi-million pounds of funding had been set aside for coronavirus testing in Britain.
Nadhim ahawi told Sky News the multi-million pound investment in testing facilities at Porton Down in Wiltshire, south west England, would “future-proof” Britain against new variants of Covid-19.