New Delhi: August 04, 2020:Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan tweeted Tuesday evening to say that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus and that he had admitted himself to hospital on the advice of his doctors. Mr Pradhan, who described himself as “healthy”, has been admitted to the Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon near Delhi.He is the second central minister to be infected by the COVID-19 virus; on Sunday Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted that he had tested positive. Mr Shah is also undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital.

“After noticing the symptoms, I got myself tested for COVID-19. The report is positive. I am healthy but, on the advice of doctors, I have hospitalised myself,” Dharmendra Pradhan tweeted.

Shortly after Mr Shah announced that he was COVID-19-positive, it emerged that he had attended a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, at which Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were among those present.

All ministers present at that meeting were asked to take COVID-19 tests. So far, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the Jal Shakti minister, has tested negative, while Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has gone into self-isolation.

Sources later said that all necessary precautions had been taken during the meeting. They also said that there is a strict coronavirus protocol at PM Modi’s official residence, where cabinet meetings are held.

Mr Shah, however, urged all those who had come into contact with him over the past week to go into self-isolation and get themselves tested.

Dharmendra Pradhan was not at that meeting but it is believed he did meet the Home Minister at a later date. Another union minister, Babul Supriyo, tweeted after Amit Shah’s appeal, admitting that he had the home minister and would self-isolate for a few days before taking a COVID-19 test.