9 members of Sharad Pawar's home, office staff test COVID-19 positive

Mumbai, Aug 17: Nine persons working at NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence in south Mumbai and members of his staff have tested positive for coronavirus, a senior civic official said on Monday.

Pawar's test results have come out negative, but he will be asked not to go on any state tour for next some days, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope told reporters in the morning.

Those who tested positive for coronavirus included three security guards and a cook working at Pawar's 'Silver Oak' residence here, a driver and his wife, the civic official said.

We conducted COVID-19 tests on 39 people today, including security officials, office employees and staff deployed at Pawars residence here in Mumbai. Out of them three people tested positive.

'Earlier, six people had tested positive for COVID- 19, he said.

The six persons who had tested positive on Sunday evening have been sent to COVID-19 centre at Nehru Science Centre at Worli in Mumbai.

'While the three people tested positive on Monday will be kept at their homes, said the official.

'We have also informed the state health department to communicate with health and civic officials in Pune as Pawar was there on Sunday. If he has met some people, they should also be tested as a precautionary measure,' he said.

Pawar returned from Pune on Sunday. He recently also travelled to Karad tehsil in Satara district where he met state cooperation minister Balasaheb Patil.

The minister, an NCP leader, tested positive for coronavirus on Friday.

In the morning, Tope said Pawar was taken to Breach Candy Hospital here on Sunday for coronavirus test and the results came out negative.

'He is safe and sound...but will ask him not to go on state tour for next some days,' the minister said.