Tamil Nadu Minister for Cooperation and Madurai (West) MLA Sellur K Raju has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. He is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Chennai.
According to reports, he was confirmed of having COVID-19 on Friday. His wife had been admitted to the same hospital a few days ago after having tested positive for coronavirus and is still under treatment. Sources from within the hospital told TNM that Sellur Raju has been visiting his wife every day since she got admitted and he got himself tested recently. The source also said that the minister has been asymptomatic and is resting in the hospital.
Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam took to Twitter to wish his colleague a speedy recovery.
“I pray to the lord almighty that minister Sellur K Raju who has been affected by coronavirus and is undergoing treatment to get well soon and resume his service to people. I also request everyone who is in public service to take precautions and act cautiously,” he tweeted.
கொரோனா தொற்றுக்குள்ளாகி மருத்துவமனையில் சிகிச்சைக்காக அனுமதிக்கப்பட்டிருக்கும் மாண்புமிகு கூட்டுறவுத்துறை அமைச்சர் திரு.செல்லூர் கே.ராஜூ அவர்கள் விரைவில் பூரண குணமடைந்து மக்கள் பணியைத் தொடர எல்லாம் வல்ல இறைவனை வேண்டிக் கொள்கிறேன்.
— O Panneerselvam (@OfficeOfOPS) July 10, 2020
Sellur Raju is the third Tamil Nadu Minister to be infected by the virus. State Higher Education Minister KP Anbalagan tested positive for coronavirus in June and Electricity minister P Thangamani was confirmed of having COVID-19 a few days ago. Both these ministers are being treated for the disease in separate hospitals.
The state secretariat will be closed on Saturday and Sunday for disinfection as per the government’s protocol for disinfecting government offices and buildings. The building was last closed for disinfecting on June 20 and 21.
As of Thursday evening, Tamil Nadu has 46,652 patients being treated at hospitals and in home isolation due to COVID-19 and the total number of COVID-19 cases reported from the state stands at over 1.26 lakh. Over 78,000 persons have recovered from the disease so far in Tamil Nadu and 1,765 persons, including DMK MLA J Anbazhagan, have succumbed to COVID-19 as of Thursday.