Maharashtra housing minister Jitendra Ahwad tests positive for coronavirus infection
It's suspected that the Maharashtra minister may have unknowingly passed on the infection to several persons who are now under treatment
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FollowMumbai: In a shocking development, Maharashtra housing minister Jitendra Awhad has tested COVID-19 positive, official sources said here early on Friday.
Awhad, along with a dozen of his family members had been in home quarantine since the past 10 days.
The decision was taken as a precaution after one of his security personnel had tested positive. The matter was first highlighted by news agency IANS on April 13.
Earlier, the minister had tested negative, but a subsequent report on Thursday had come positive, alarming the state health authorities.
The senior Nationalist Congress Party leader was admitted to a hospital on Wednesday for further tests.
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It's suspected that the minister may have unknowingly passed on the infection to several persons who are now under treatment.
The minister had come in contact with a policeman in Thane's Mumbra town during the search for persons who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi earlier this month.
Among other contacts of the infected policeman were several other police personnel, mediapersons, officials, including Awhad, sending shockwaves in state circles.
While a senior minister confirmed the development, there's been no reaction from the NCP or the government so far.
Earlier this month, health authorities went into a tizzy after a tea-seller outside the Bandra residence of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had tested COVID-19 positive.
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