Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday. The 80-year-old has been admitted to the Kauvery hospital in Chennai and is said to be asymptomatic and in a stable condition.
“The Honourable Governor of Tamilnadu Shri Banwarilal Purohit tested positive for COVID-19. He is asymptomatic and clinically stable. He underwent further tests and assessments at the Kauvery Hospital, Alwarpet, Chennai today. As the infection is mild, he has been advised home isolation,” the hospital said in a statement on Sunday.
He had been under quarantine at the Raj Bhawan for seven days since July 29 after 84 persons in Raj Bhavan, including fire and security personnel, tested positive for the virus. The Governor's office had said that none of the 84 staff of Raj Bhawan who had tested positive had come in contact with the 81-year-old Governor.
"As a precautionary measure to last week’s COVID-19 cases, 38 persons of the Raj Bhavan in Chennai were tested for COVID-19. Out of them, 35 persons are found to be negative and only three persons tested positive. Three members who tested positive have been shifted to hospital by the Health Department and are undergoing treatment," read the release that had been issued on Wednesday.
Banwarilal Purohit was appointed as the Governor of Tamil Nadu on September 30, 2017.
Tamil Nadu, as of Saturday, has recorded 2,51,738 cases of coronavirus and has 56,738 active cases. A total of 4,034 patients have died due to the virus since March. Chennai alone recorded over one lakh cases.
On Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also stated that he has tested positive for coronavirus. He tweeted saying that he is fine and is being hospitalised on doctors’ advice. He also asked those who had in contact with him to isolate themselves.