Jacqueline Fernandez admits of being in a 'privileged' position amid Covid-19 crisis; objects to criticism received by celebrities

Actress Jacqueline Fernandez has been doing her part amid the novel Coronavirus pandemic and she launched her foundation You Only Live Once (YOLO) to help the needy. However, in a recent interview, Jacquline admitted being in a position of ‘privilege’ as India battles the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.  

However, she also said that this is not a time to criticise celebrities for their contribution. 

“I want to be there as much as I can for people and not think about myself. Because I know I do come from a space that's a complete privilege right now. I have a roof over my head and I have food to eat. There are people out there struggling to survive because of the pandemic,” Jacquline Fernandez told Times Now.

Along with Jacquline, several other celebrities have made efforts to do their part in the nation’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. India has witnessed a surging demand for medical supplies that have stressed the healthcare infrastructure. Many actors and influencers have utilized their Twitter handle to amplify the requests for medical supplies. 

Meanwhile, the Race 3 actress has also been amplifying distress calls and sharing information about Covid-19 resources and she thinks it is her duty. 

Objecting to the criticism received by celebrities at a time of crisis, Jacquline urged everyone to come together and help alleviate the situation. She said, “If it’s in your capacity to help, please help, and if maybe, it’s not in your capacity or you don’t have the means, at least don’t spread hate, don’t spread negativity,” she said. “It’s not the time or the place for that.”

She added, “Don’t add just negativity. It's really uncalled for... There are actually people out there who are doing what they can and probably not talking about it. You don’t know what someone’s going through or what someone’s doing, so please don’t make yourself a judge of that. Even if it means keeping your negative opinions to yourself, please do that.”

Jacqueline has set up the You Only Live Once foundation to create and share stories of kindness in everyday life. She has tied up with several NGOs that cater to the different needs in our society, to begin with. 

Recently, she stepped out to visit an NGO, Roti Bank, in Mumbai and personally helped them prepare and distribute meals to people. Apart from extending financial help and providing the essentials, Jacqueline is trying to raise awareness and help those in need of dealing with the crisis.

Earlier last week, Jacqueline Fernandez revealed that she is working towards setting up an extensive COVID care centre with 100 beds and 500 oxygen concentrators. She also added that there will be two ambulances available.