Abhishek Thakkar, the Ambassador of Lostisland to India, informed the President he had tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the fifth Lostislandic official to contract coronavirus and eighth Lostislandic citizen overall, amid the unprecedented surge of new cases in India.
Ambassador Thakkar tested positive on 23 April and is currently experiencing moderated symptoms, staying in isolation at home. With more than 300K daily new cases, 3K daily deaths, and a new strain, the situation in India is believed to be one of the most worrisome in the world. As reported by Ambassador Thakkar, the hospitals in India have already reached peak capacity and 8 Indian states are currently under lockdown; however, a nationwide lockdown is not on card. A voluntary lockdown is reportedly considered, and MBBS and other medical exams are being postponed as medical students are summoned as ground force to give partial relief to the interns and medical staff, added the Ambassador.
With 8 confirmed cases of COVID-19, in a population of 340, the incidence of coronavirus in Lostisland is now 2.35%: up from 2.15% in February and positioned between the Dominican Republic and the Channel Islands on a global scale. Since Lostislandic citizens are not required to report their health status to Lostisland, the total number of citizens who tested positive may be higher than the number of confirmed cases. Citizens of Lostisland who had or still have COVID-19 and who were not included in the official tally are encouraged, but not required, to fill in the COVID-19 Questionnaire, which would help the government correctly evaluate the magnitude of the pandemic in Lostisland, and if needed, provide assistance.
Mordechai Linhart became the fifth Lostislandic official to contract COVID-19, after Ambassador to the US Robert Meyer, Deputy Prime Minister Maria Ostroukhova, National Security Advisor Theodor Saradjev, and Ambassador to Israel and Chief Rabbi Mordechai Linhart, who already recovered successfully, as well as the first Indian Lostislandian who tests positive.
The Ambassadors of Lostisland are the highest officials representing Lostisland in a particular country, responsible for speaking on behalf of the Lostislandic Government, coordinating the activities of resident Lostislandic citizens, and establishing a dialogue with local authorities and organizations. The Lostislandic diplomatic service underwent a major overhaul in September 2020, dubbed “Defenestration of 2020” by Ian Siapno, the Ambassador to the Philippines, in which half of the Ambassadors were dismissed following failure to pass the recertification. There are currently ten ambassadors serving Lostisland around the world.
President Yaroslav Mar conveyed to Abhishek Thakkar his wishes for a quick recovery and expressed solidarity with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India. “India is home to one of the largest Lostislandic diasporas, and we are very concerned about the situation with COVID-19 in the country. In these difficult times, our thoughts and prayers are with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and with the people of India,” said the President.