Hyderabad (Telangana): A legislator of Telangana's ruling party Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has tested positive for COVID-19 while Finance Minister T Harish Rao has gone into self-quarantine after his assistant was found infected by the virus.
The legislator, who represents a constituency in the united Warangal district, was admitted to a corporate hospital in Hyderabad late Friday. His condition is said to be stable.
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The MLA's family members and staff were quarantined at a function hall in Hyderabad. The TRS leader, who lives with his family in the state capital, had visited his constituency to attend various programmes.
The legislator had gone to the constituency on June 2 to attend the Telangana Formation Day celebrations and again on June 5 to participate in another programme.
Health department officials were trying to trace those who accompanied the MLA during his visit to the constituency. The contacts were being traced through photographs and videos taken during the programmes.
He is the first MLA from Telangana to test positive for COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Finance minister Harish Rao has gone into self-quarantine after his assistant in his constituency Siddipet tested positive. Though the minister and 17 of his contacts tested negative on Friday, he went into self-quarantine at his house as a precautionary measure. Reports of some members of the minister's staff were still awaited.
Siddipet district collector A P Venkatrami Reddy and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district collector Anitha Ramachandran also went into self-quarantine after the people they met tested positive for COVID-19.
One of the villagers, who had called on Venkatrami Reddy two days ago about the land acquisition for the Kondapochammasagar reservoir, tested positive.
The collector decided to go for self-quarantine as a precautionary measure.
Greater Hyderabad Mayor Bonthu Rammohan on Friday underwent a COVID-19 test after his driver tested positive. An employee in his office had also tested positive.
It is the second time in less than a week that the mayor underwent the test. He had earlier undergone the test after a man working at a hotel, where the mayor had tea earlier this month, tested positive. The mayor had tested negative.
(IANS report)
