Veteran CPI(M) leader and former Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan tested positive for the coronavirus. The 98-year-old leader has been admitted to a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, his son VS Arunkumar posted on social media. Even though his father was confined to the house due to his age, the nurse attending on the veteran, the other day tested COVID-19 positive and after he underwent a test, he also was found positive, Arunkumar added.

"Following the advice from doctors, he was shifted to a hospital on Thursday, January 20, and is presently convalescing at the hospital bed," wrote Arunkumar. He bowed out from electoral politics and did not contest the April 6 Assembly elections, while he was a member of the outgoing Assembly.

VS Achuthanandan served as the Chief Minister from 2006-2011 and was the Leader of Opposition from 2011-2016. He had to make way for Pinarayi Vijayan as the new Chief Minister in 2016. Achuthanandan then had to be content with being a legislator and later he was made the chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission, which came with cabinet status. But just before the Assembly polls, he quit from the post.

Meanwhile, the daily tally of COVID-19 cases in Kerala reached a record high on Thursday when 46,387 people tested positive and the daily test positivity rate reached a staggering 40.2%, said State Health Minister Veena George in a statement. On Wednesday it was 34,199 new cases and the TPR was 37%

The situation in the state capital district looked very grave after 9,605 people turned positive with Ernakulam closely behind with 9,605 cases, Wayanad district recorded the least, 827 cases. Consequent to the steep rise in daily cases which have been a phenomenon in the past week, at present there are 1.99 lakh active cases. George's statement said that there were only 3% of the positive cases who were admitted to hospitals.

With IANS inputs