Tamil Nadu minister K P Anbazhagan, 4 of his staff test positive for Covid-19

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu higher education minister K P Anbazhagan and four of his staff have tested positive for Covid-19.
“I am fine,” Anbazhagan told TOI on Friday confirming that he had tested positive. On Thursday night, he had denied that he was ill, saying he had visited hospital for a check-up. But on Friday afternoon, Union minister for human resource development Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank tweeted: “Just got to know that Shri @KPAnbalaganoffl has tested positive for Covid-19! I sincerely wish and pray to the God almighty for his speedy recovery. Hoping he gets healthy and well soon.” The news sent shockwaves among his cabinet colleagues as Anbazhagan is one of the six ministers overseeing coordination and relief work in city corporation limits. He handles Adyar, Perungudi and Sholinganallur zones. Several people, including health minister C Vijayabaskar, who attended a review meeting with him on Wednesday, were tested as a precaution. Their results were negative.

The minister complained of body pain on Thursday and felt uneasiness, said a close associate adding, “He does not have any problems now. Everything seems to be fine.” “His CT scan is normal,” said another source.
Anbazhagan is the third prominent politician to test positive. AIADMK Sriperumbudur MLA K Palani is undergoing treatment in a private hospital in the city. DMK MLA J Anbazhagan died of Covid -19 last week.
Incidentally, the chief minister’s office too on Thursday reported three more positive cases, including a deputy secretary, driver and an office assistant, all who got contracted the virus from a senior private secretary B J Dhamodaran, who died on Wednesday. “The chief minister had told all the cabinet colleagues to test for virus recently and all have undergone tests and turned negative,” said a minister.