One among actress Kareena Kapoor's domestic staff has tested positive for COVID, the fifth person to be infected after Kareena and three others who attended a dinner at filmmaker Karan Johar's Mumbai home on December 8. On Tuesday, a medical team was spotted at Kareena's home to conduct RT-PCR tests among her household. News agency ANI reports that Mumbai's civic body, Brihanmumbai Corporation or BMC, has said that Kareena Kapoor's house help's test result was positive. Kareena Kapoor and Amrita Arora announced on Monday that they were COVID-positive. News agencies reported that Seema Khan and Maheep Kapoor, who were also at the dinner, were infected. Karan Johar announced today that he tested negative.
There has been criticism of the dinner which is being seen by some as a super-spreader. Both Kareena Kapoor and Karan Johar have issued statements, Kareena to say that she not been unmindful of COVID safety rules and KJo to deny that his house was a "hotspot for COVID."
Karan Johar's statement read: "My family and I and everyone at home have done their RTPCR tests and with the grace of God we are all NEGATIVE! In fact I tested twice just to be safe and am negative. I truly appreciate the grandest efforts of the BMC to ensure the safety of our city...Salute to them. To some members of the media, I would like to clarify that a 8 people intimate gathering is not a "party"...And my home which we maintain strict protocols is certainly no "hotspot" of COVID. All of us are responsible and masked at all times and NO one would treat that pandemic lightly... My request to certain members of the media is to exercise some restraint in their extreme reportage without the assessment of facts. Lots of love and safety to all."
A statement shared on Kareena Kapoor's behalf read: "Kareena has been extremely responsible throughout the lockdown period. She has been careful every time she's stepped out. Unfortunately, this time she and Amrita Arora contracted COVID at an intimate dinner where a few friends had gathered to catchup. It wasn't a big party as being reported. Among that group, there was one person who seemed unwell and was coughing, and who eventually passed it on. This person should have been responsible enough to not attend the dinner and put others at risk. As soon as she tested positive she has quarantined herself and is following the necessary precautions and protocols to deal with the condition. It is not fair to put the blame on her and say that she has been irresponsible and let her guard down. Kareena is a responsible citizen and also has the concern and care for safeguarding her family."
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the dinner guest who was coughing was Seema Khan, who stars in The Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives with Maheep Kapoor. BMC said on Tuesday that Seema was the first of the infected dinner guests to have tested positive, ANI reported. Also at Karan Johar's dinner were actress Alia Bhatt, Kareena's sister Karisma Kapoor and Amrita's sister Malaika Arora with her boyfriend Arjun Kapoor - Malaika and Arjun battled COVID earlier this year.