Amit Shah hospitalised after testing Covid positive; Yediyurappa too catches virus

“On getting the initial symptoms of coronavirus, I got the test done and the report came back positive. My health is fine, but I am being admitted to the hospital on the advice of doctors. I request those who came in contact with me in last few days to get tested for coronavirus and isolate themselves,” Amit Shah tweeted.

कोरोना के शुरूआती लक्षण दिखने पर मैंने टेस्ट करवाया और रिपोर्ट पॉजिटिव आई है। मेरी तबीयत ठीक है परन्तु डॉक्टर्स की सलाह पर अस्पताल में भर्ती हो रहा हूँ। मेरा अनुरोध है कि आप में से जो भी लोग गत कुछ दिनों में मेरे संपर्क में आयें हैं, कृपया स्वयं को आइसोलेट कर अपनी जाँच करवाएं।

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 2, 2020

Sources said Amit Shah was present in the last Cabinet meeting where the new education policy (NEP 2020) was approved. In the meeting, social distancing was strictly followed along with wearing of masks.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Cabinet meetings in the last few months have been held at the Prime Minister’s residence. A strict protocol has been in place, including temperature checks, mandatory use of Aarogya Setu app and no use of internal cars to ferry people, sources said. However, physical meetings have been kept to a minimum and the stress has been on virtual conferences.

Hours later, Minister of State for Environment Babul Supriyo said he had met Amit Shah on Friday evening and was going into isolation. 

“I had met Amit Shah ji day before in the evening. I am advised by Doctors to confine myself, away from my family members, for the next few days with a test to be done soon. Shall abide with all precautionary measures as per rules and protocol,” Supriyo tweeted.

I had met Honble HM Shri @AmitShah ji day before in the evening • I am advised by Doctors to confine myself, away from my family members, for the next few days with a test to be done soon •
Shall abide with all precautionary measures as per Rules & Protocol #COVID19 #AmitShah

— Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) August 2, 2020

A host of political leaders cutting across party lines, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, wished Amit Shah a speedy recovery. “Heard about the Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah being tested positive for COVID-19. Wishing him a speedy recovery. My prayers are with him and his family,” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted.

On Saturday, Amit Shah addressed the inaugural session of a webinar organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) on Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s 100th death anniversary. Shah had said Tilak was the one who made India’s freedom struggle truly Indian. Shah said Tilak suffused India’s freedom struggle with Indian thought, Indian history, Indian pride and its varied languages.

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit also tested positive for Covid-19 (File)

Later on Sunday, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa also tested positive for coronavirus. The CM tweeted: “I have tested positive for coronavirus. 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.”

I have tested positive for coronavirus. 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.

— B.S. Yediyurappa (@BSYBJP) August 2, 2020

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit also tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday. “He is asymptomatic and clinically stable. He underwent further tests and assessment,” a medical bulletin said. Purohit has shown mild symptoms and has been advised home isolation and will be monitored by the medical team of Kauvery hospital.

Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh minister Kamal Rani Varun, who had earlier tested positive for the novel coronavirus, died due to the infection in Lucknow. Varun, 62, was the minister of Technical Education in the Uttar Pradesh cabinet and MLA from Ghatampur seat in Kanpur Nagar.

So far, more than two dozen politicians, including legislators, have contracted the virus. On July 25, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted the news of him testing positive for coronavirus. Chouhan has been regularly interacting with his ministers over video conference from his hospital bed and reviewing the situation in the state. Last week, in a video statement, Chouhan said he prepares his own tea and does his own laundry at the dedicated Covid-19 hospital in Bhopal.

“In the hospital, I make my own tea and wash my clothes on my own because one cannot give clothes for laundry when they are Covid positive. Washing clothes myself has benefited me in another way. My hand was operated and despite of physiotherapy it did not work properly. Now, because of washing clothes using my hands it works just fine,” Chouhan said.

Earlier, BJP Rajya Sabha leader and former Congress general secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia had tested positive. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain also tested positive in June and had to be shifted to an intensive care unit when his condition deteriorated. However, Jain recovered upon receiving plasma therapy.

Maharashtra has had three Cabinet ministers who contracted Covid-19 — former CM Ashok Chavan, Jitendra Awhad and Dhananjay Munde. There have been fatalities among politicians too. Tamil Nadu MLA J Anbazhagan of the DMK succumbed to Covid-19 on June 10.

India’s Covid-19 tally climbed to 17.50 lakh, with 54,735 cases being reported in a day, while the death toll rose to 37,364, with 853 people succumbing to the disease in a span of 24 hours. Today is the third consecutive day when coronavirus cases in the country have increased by over 50,000.