Tested Positive For Coronavirus, Hospitalised, Tweets Amit Shah

Union home minister Amit Shah has tweeted that he has tested positive for coronavirus, which has infected more than 17 lakh people in the country. The minister said his health was "fine" but he was being hospitalised "on the advice of doctors". The country logged more than 17 lakh cases of coronavirus today -- adding more than 1 lakh patients to the tally in just two days.

Mr Shah had taken part in a cabinet meeting a few days ago. Sources said there will be contact tracing and anyone who came in contact with the minister will have to self-isolate.

"On getting the initial symptoms of coronavirus, I got the test done and the report came back positive. My health is fine, but I am being admitted to the hospital on the advice of doctors. I request that all of you who have come in contact with me in the last few days, please isolate yourself and get your inquiry done," Mr Shah's tweet in Hindi roughly said.

कोरोना के शुरूआती लक्षण दिखने पर मैंने टेस्ट करवाया और रिपोर्ट पॉजिटिव आई है। मेरी तबीयत ठीक है परन्तु डॉक्टर्स की सलाह पर अस्पताल में भर्ती हो रहा हूँ। मेरा अनुरोध है कि आप में से जो भी लोग गत कुछ दिनों में मेरे संपर्क में आयें हैं, कृपया स्वयं को आइसोलेट कर अपनी जाँच करवाएं।

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 2, 2020

The pandemic has claimed the life of a minister from Uttar Pradesh. Kamal Rani Varun, 62, died at Lucknow's Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences this morning.

Over the last 24 hours, 54,735 cases of the disease were reported, taking the total number of cases to 17,50,723, data from the Union health ministry showed.

The spike came as the country rolled Unlock 3 -- the third phase of lifting of restrictions -- was rolled out last week. The government, however, is yet to open places which see a large gathering of people, including schools and colleges, cinema halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, bars and assembly halls. Many states announced lockdown  in different degrees last month as numbers spiked.

It took just 185 days for India to cross the 17-lakh mark after the first case was reported in Kerala in January this year. The country had crossed the one lakh-mark in 110 days. More than 60 per cent of total cases in the country and over 50 per cent of total deaths have been recorded in July.