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Farooq Abdullah tests positive for COVID-19; Omar to self-isolate

Omar Abdullah confirmed to THE WEEK his father is in Srinagar

(File) Farooq Abdullah (left)

Omar Abdullah, the vice-president of the National Conference, announced on Tuesday morning that his father and party chief, Farooq Abdullah, had tested positive for COVID-19.

Omr added that Farooq was showing some symptoms of COVID-19.

Omar tweeted he and other relatives were going into self-isolation until they got tested. Omar Abdullah tweeted, "My father has tested positive for COVID-19 & is showing some symptoms. I will be self-isolating along with other family members until we get ourselves tested. I request anyone who has come in to contact with us over the last few days to take all the mandated precautions."

Omar Abdullah confirmed to THE WEEK his father is in Srinagar.

Farooq, who is 83 years old, had been released from detention in March last year after he and several leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, including Omar, were taken into custody following abrogation of Article 370.

Interestingly, Farooq had taken the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on March 2 at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar.

At the time, Omar had informed Farooq had a "number of health issues including being on immuno-suppressants for a kidney transplant".

(With inputs from Tariq Bhat)