Union interior minister Amit Shah has tested positive for coronavirus that infected more than 17 lakhs in the country. According to sources, he was taken to the Medanta Hospital in Haryana’s Gurugram near Delhi. In a tweet, the minister said his health was “okay,” but he was being hospitalized “on the advice of doctors.” He also asked everyone “who has come into contact with me in the past few days to isolate themselves and deal with your request”.
Sources said that extensive contact tracking is being carried out and that anyone who has come into contact with the minister must isolate himself.
The 55-year-old Shah attended a cabinet meeting on Wednesday attended by all top ministers, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. All security standards, including social distance, were followed at the crucial meeting that approved national education policies.
According to sources, PM Modi’s official residence, where cabinet meetings are held, has a strict coronavirus protocol. In addition to the mandatory temperature check and the use of the Aarogya Setu app, some additional measures are required. The use of cars within the site has been discontinued.
While most PM Modi meetings are now online, cabinet meetings are not virtual.
On Sunday afternoon, Mr. Shah tweeted, “When I got the first symptoms of the coronavirus, I had the test done and the report came back positive. My health is fine, but I am hospitalized on the advice of doctors. I ask all of you who have come into contact with me in the past few days, please isolate yourself and deal with your request, “said Mr. Shah’s tweet roughly in Hindi.
Union Minister Babul Supriyo, one of those who have met the interior minister in the past few days, tweeted: “I met Honble HM Shri @AmitShah ji the night before the previous day. Doctors advise me to stay away from my family members for the next few days with a test to be done shortly. You must follow all precautions according to rules and protocols. “
The country recorded more than 17 lakh cases of coronavirus today – and added more than one lakh patient in just two days. The pandemic has claimed the life of a minister in Uttar Pradesh. Kamal Rani Varun, 62, died this morning at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow.
Last week, Madhya Pradesh’s Prime Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tested positive for the virus. He’s been in the hospital for nine days and tweeted today that he’s fine. The Prime Minister tweeted an early message to Mr. Shah from his hospital bed. “Home Secretary Amit Shah, may God help you recover soon so you can serve the nation with full energy. Our best wishes are with you,” was his tweet in Hindi.
Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit has also tested positive for coronavirus today, said Chennais Kauvery Hospital, where he was admitted. He is asymptomatic and clinically stable, the hospital said.
54,735 cases of the disease have been reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 17,50,723, according to data from the Department of Health.