Close on the back of news reports that Kamal Rani Varun, the only woman cabinet minister in Uttar Pradesh, succumbed to the coronavirus, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit announced that they have tested positive for the infection. They are the latest names among prominent political figures in the country to have contracted COVID-19; the chief of BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit, Swatantra Dev Singh, and state minister Mahendra Singh, have also tested positive for COVID-19.
Last week, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had tested positive. Some state ministers and BJP leaders who met him had quarantined themselves at their homes. Chouhan, 61, was admitted to a COVID-19 designated private hospital in Bhopal.
Taking to Twitter, 55-year-old Amit Shah said he had undergone a coronavirus test after showing initial symptoms. "My health is fine but I am getting admitted to a hospital on the advice of doctors," he tweeted in Hindi, requesting those who had come in contact with him in the last few days to get tested for coronavirus and isolate themselves.
On Sunday night, Karnataka Chief Minister Yediyurappa tweeted that he has tested positive for coronavirus and is being hospitalised. "Whilst I am fine, I am being hospitalised as a precaution on the recommendation of doctors. I request those who have come in contact with me recently to be observant and exercise self quarantine," he said. Yediyurappa is the fourth member of his cabinet to contract the viral disease. Earlier, Forest Minister Anand Singh, Tourism Minister C.T. Ravi and Agriculture Minister B.C. Patil had tested positive for COVID-19.
According to a bulletin issued by the Kauvery Hospital in Chennai, Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit has also tested positive for the infection, and has been advised home isolation since his infection was mild. Purohit, 80, was in self-isolation since July 29 after three people in the Raj Bhavan tested positive for the coronavirus. The bulletin said the governor underwent further tests on Sunday. He has been advised home isolation and a medical team would monitor him. Earlier, as many as 84 security and fire services personnel deployed in the Raj Bhavan tested positive for the virus on July 23, but the governor's office had then said none of them came into contact with Purohit or senior officials. Several MLAs in the state had earlier tested positive for COVID-19, while DMK legislator J. Anbazhagan had died in June.
Uttar Pradesh BJP unit chief Swatantra Dev Singh, said on Twitter that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and has quarantined himself at his home following doctors' advice. Officials said that UP Jal Shakti Minister Mahendra Singh tested positive for COVID-19 around two-three days ago and has been hospitalised. Earlier, state Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh, Rural Development Minister Rajendra Pratap Singh alias Moti Singh, Sainik Kalyan Minister Chetan Chauhan, Ayush Minister Dharam Singh Saini and Youth Development Minister Upendra Tiwari had tested positive for COVID-19.
According to the Union health ministry data, the total coronavirus cases surged to 17,50,723, on Sunday while the death toll climbed to 37,364. The recoveries have increased to 11,45,629, while there are 5,67,730 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country. The recovery rate among COVID-19 patients has risen to 65.44 per cent while the fatality rate has further dropped to 2.13 per cent.
-Inputs from PTI