Irrigation Minister P. Anil Kumar, who had come in contact with a doctor who tested positive for coronavirus, heaved a sigh of relief on Tuesday as his swab test proved negative for the disease.

Dr. Kumar had gone into self-quarantine after a test report confirmed that the doctor he met had contracted the disease.

The Minister was back on his feet overseeing implementation of the containment action plan in the red zone of the Janardhana Reddy Colony, where two persons tested positive for the disease.

The government was taking all steps to contain the spread of the disease, said Dr. Kumar, a dentist, and offered himself to provide emergency medical service.

He took objection to TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu criticising the government by camping in Hyderabad and without visiting the affected people at the grassroots level.

Meanwhile, the doctor who suffered from comorbidity condition was shifted to a private hospital in Chennai for advanced treatment.

No new cases

Much to the relief of the Nellore district administration, the number of infected persons remained unchanged at 42, the second highest in the State after Kurnool.

Except for one person from Italy who was treated at the isolation ward and discharged subsequently on recovery, other infected persons had contracted the disease during their visit to New Delhi to attend a religious congregation there.

In Prakasam district, 493 persons, including those who came in close contact with the infected persons from Delhi, tested negative for the disease so far, district Collector P. Bhaskar said.

All high-risk persons were identified and subjected to testing, he said after taking stock of the health situation in Ongole, Chirala, Karamchedu, Kandukur, K.K. Mitla and Chimakurthy.

The number of persons who tested positive for the disease stood unchanged at 24 in Prakasam district.