Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, senior Cong leader Oommen Chandy test positive for COVID-19

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 08: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday tested positive for COVID-19. Vijayan, who had taken the first dose of the Covid vaccine last month, confirmed his infection in a tweet.

"I have been confirmed Covid+ve. Will get treated at the Government Medical college, Kozhikode," he tweeted. Governor Arif Mohammad Khan said in a tweet he spoke to the chief minister "who is hospitalised after testing COVID postive.Relieved that his health is stable.I wish Hon'ble chief minister and family members speedy recovery."

Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and DMK supremo M K Stalin wished the 75-year-old Vijayan a speedy recovery. Vijayan was shifted to the Kozhikode Medical college fromKannur, sources said. The chief minister also requested all those who came in contact with him in recent days, to go into 'self-observation'.

Sources from the Chief Minister's Office told PTI that he was asymptomatic. Chief Minister's daughter Veena Vijayan and son-in-law P A Mohammed Riyas had earlier tested positive.

Vijayan, who was the CPI(M) candidate from Dharmadam in Kannur, had travelled extensively throughout the state during the campaign for the April 6 Assembly polls.

He had also participated in the road show at Dharmadam on the last day of the campaign. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy also tested positive on Thursday, party sources said.

The 77-year-old Chandy, who contested from Puthuppallyin Kottayam, had not been keeping well since the past two days and tested positive for the virus, the sources said.

He is likely to be shifted to a private hospital here. The governor wished Chandy a speed recovery. Kerala had reported 4,353 fresh Covid cases on Thursday, the highest in the past few days.