While his parents and sister have tested positive, Himansh has tested negative for COVID-19 twice
Riya Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; August 31, 2020)

On Saturday, Himansh Kohli shared on social media that his parents and sister have tested positive fir Coronavirus. The Yaariyan actor, however, tested negative twice.

He says, “My father had fever and other mild symptoms, and tested positive a week back. When I went for his tests, I was tested, too, and my reports came negative. After dad, my mother also started showing symptoms and on Saturday, she and my sister, Disha, tested positive. I was tested again and my reports are negative.”

He adds, “My house help and I have tested negative. My parents have mild symptoms now and my sister is asymptomatic. I am trying to take all precautions while taking care of them. We are making sure that we maintain social distancing in our house. My house help is in charge of our kitchen now and only he is allowed to be there.”

Talking about how his parents reacted to testing positive, Himansh says, “My parents were initially scared when they tested positive for COVID. But I told them that they need to stay calm. All of us are in the middle of a pandemic, anyone can get the virus. We should not behave as if it’s a taboo.”

Riya Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; May 26, 2020)

On May 23, a couple of days after it was announced that domestic flights would resume from May 25, Himansh Kohli booked himself two tickets on one of the first Mumbai-Delhi flights. “I wanted to go home ever since the Coronavirus lockdown was announced, but I could not. I planned to travel via road, however, I wasn’t sure about the situation on the highway. Then I read that domestic flights were set to resume, and as soon as I got a notification that bookings were open, I booked my tickets.”

But his travel plans were uncertain till he actually boarded the flight since the Maharashtra government was still mulling over whether to allow air travel. “Till yesterday morning I wasn’t sure if I would be able to board the flight or not. There were no updates from the airline’s side as to whether my flight was cancelled or rescheduled. My flight was at 7 am, and I reached two hours early. There were flights being cancelled on the spot. My cousin was supposed to take a flight an hour before me, but her flight got cancelled at the last minute,” he says. Luckily, Himansh’s flight wasn’t cancelled and he managed to return home to Delhi yesterday.

With the rules at the airport quite strict, the actor says this travel experience was quite different. “We were asked to follow social distancing while queuing up at the airport’s gate. They checked our temperature and verified our ID. We had to show our printed boarding pass and get luggage tags from home. They also asked us to show the ‘safe’ certificate on the Aarogya Setu app. Some passengers also got medical certificates from their doctor,” says Himansh, adding, “The airport itself was quite empty. People were wearing masks and gloves and carrying sanitisers with them. Since it was the first day of flights resuming, people looked a little scared.”

The boarding process was also very different, says Himansh. “While earlier, passengers used to rush when boarding started and break the queue, now everyone was boarding and deboarding according to their row numbers,” he says, adding “Once inside the plane, everything looked just like before. However, there was no food provided; only a bottle of water. While lavatories were accessible, we were advised against using them. I had booked two seats for myself — the middle and window seats — to minimise contact with anyone. I understand it might seem wasteful, but our life is more important. I felt lucky and fortunate that I reached Delhi safely. My dad came to pick me up, but there were no hugs at the airport or at home. He also sanitised the car once we reached home, and everyone was like ‘Go, take a shower first.’ Since I came from another state, I will be in home quarantine willingly for at least 14 days.”