A groom in India died two days after getting married. Now, about 100 COVID-19 cases are linked to the wedding.
A 30-year-old Indian man with COVID-19 symptoms died two days after his wedding and now around 100 cases have been linked to the ceremony, according to media reports.
Relatives told multiple news outlets in India that the groom, who has not been identified, developed symptoms before the wedding and after traveling to his village in the city of Paliganj.
His family, however, insisted on holding the wedding due to “huge financial losses” that would take place if the family canceled, according to the Indian Express. The outlet also reported that the groom was cremated without having a test performed on him.
Around 350 people were in attendance at the wedding, CBS News reported, nearly seven times more than the limit of 50 people required by the country’s Ministry of Home Affairs.
About week after the wedding, nearly 300 people were tested in the area — around 100 of whom were confirmed to have COVID-19. A majority of the cases were guests and their families.
The village has since been closed down as a containment zone, per the Indian Express. Authorities were only made aware after a guest had reported the wedding.
“Our first priority now is to prevent the infection and break the chain,” said Chiranjeev Pandey, a city official, to the Indian Express.
There are conflicting reports how many guests and relatives tested positive. Business Today in India reported 95 positive cases tied to the wedding, while the Indian Express estimated 113 were infected with the virus. The bride, per both outlets, was not one of them.
India remains hard-hit by the coronavirus, with 585,441 cases — the fourth-highest worldwide — and more than 17,000 deaths, per the Johns Hopkins dashboard. The country lifted its nationwide lockdown in June.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID-19: Indian groom dies 2 days after wedding, around 100 positive
