Yet another Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of the ruling YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday. Kilari Rosaiah, a first-time MLA from Guntur district, who was asymptomatic, announced it himself, through a video on social media.
"I have no symptoms but tested positive for the coronavirus. I have gone into home quarantine and will recover soon with all your good wishes," the MLA said.
He is the third legislator of the ruling party to have tested positive for the virus.
Meanwhile, the state's aggregate number of coronavirus cases stood at 16,934 as 837 were added afresh in a 24-hour period ending on Friday. Out of this, as many as 9,096 persons are receiving treatment for COVID-19 at different hospitals in Andhra Pradesh.
Eight deaths reported from different parts of the state took the state's death toll to 206. Health officials said that 258 more patients had recovered and were discharged from hospitals on Friday, taking the tally of cured persons to 7,632.
Anantapur reported the highest daily tally of 149 cases, followed by Prakasam with 139, and Kurnool with 116 cases. Guntur reported 80 cases, followed by West Godavari with 57 cases, East Godavari with 56 cases and Visakhapatnam with 54 cases.
Of the cumulative 16,934 cases, 14,414 were locals, 2,111 from other states and 409 foreign returnees.
According to government data, the state so far completed a sum of 9.71 lakh tests at the rate of 18,195 per million. As the number of cases has been growing, the positivity rate increased to 1.74% while the recovery rate dropped further to 45.07%.
The mortality rate stood at 1.22%, as per the data released by the state government on Friday.