Coronavirus: 5 Public figures who opted for Indian form of greeting Namaste amid COVID 19 scare

Coronavirus: Traditional Indian form of greeting Namaste has been getting adopted by several public figures across the world amidst the COVID-19 scare.

By Nikita Roy

Updated on Mar 14, 2020 | 10:56 AM IST | 2M

Coronavirus: 5 Public figures who opted for Indian form of greeting Namaste amid COVID 19 scare

World Health Organisation (WHO) recently announced Coronavirus is a controllable pandemic. The number of COVID-19 cases in the world right now are around 125,293, with over 4,600 deaths.For the unversed, in India too, the numbers have risen to more than 70. The first death case due to COVID-19 in India too has been reported. With the outbreak spreading like wildfire, government and health organizations are taking precautions to contain the spread. Self-quarantine, maintaining personal hygiene, cleanliness and usage of masks and cloth while coughing has been advised right now. And now, thanks to coronavirus, India's traditional form of greeting, Namaste is now the most preferred form of pleasantries worldwide. Many politicos and celebs are ditching the old school handshake for Namaste.

Read on to find out how international celebs and politicians are following Indian pleasantry Namaste over the formal handshake.

PM of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu

Prime Minister of Israel Mr. Netanyahu has encouraged the usage of Namaste instead of handshake among Israeli citizens. He showed how Indians do Namaste at the press conference.

Prince Charles

Prince Charles recently was also spotted greeting people with a namaste at the London Palladium. The video of Prince of Wales bringing out his hand for a shake and then suddenly doing namaste has gone viral.

French President Emmanuel Macron

Being mindful of the coronavirus outbreak, French President Emmanuel Macron also welcomed King Felipe of Spain and his wife in the courtyard of the Elysee Palace in Paris by doing a namaste and bowing.

USA Prez Donald Trump

Trump too avoided the customary handshake and opted for namaste while welcoming Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar to the White House.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar

The Irish PM said that Namaste is sensible and safe right now. He said, “It almost feels impersonal or feels like you’re being rude, but we just can’t afford to think like that for the next few weeks.”