Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac on Sunday tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and has been admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram.
Dr. Isaac was shifted to the VIP room of Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, on Sunday night after he tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
Official sources said Dr. Isaac attended the office till 5.30 p.m. at the Secretariat and decided to undergo an antigen test after he developed a cough, mild cold, and fever. The 12 others, including his personal staff and those at the Minister’s residence, tested negative for the virus. But they had also been asked to undergo quarantine by the health authorities.
The Finance Minister was in the capital city this week, busy with the GST compensation issue, and was scheduled to leave for Alappuzha on Monday. Dr. Isaac, who had attended the Independence Day celebrations in Alappuzha, had undergone the antigen test 10 days ago and tested negative, sources said. The other personal staff of the Minister will also undergo the antigen test on Monday.
Dr. Isaac is the first Minister in Kerala to test positive for the infection. Last month, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and several key members of his Cabinet went on self quarantine after several senior officers who led the rescue operations at the site of the air crash in Kozhikode airport had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
Mr. Vijayan had visited the disaster site along with Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan, Health Minister K.K. Shylaja, and Local Self-Government Minister A.C. Moideen. The Chief Minister and other Ministers had to skip the Independence Day parade.