Twelve of 50 staffers, including security personnel at the south Mumbai residence of Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar have tested positive for Covid-19. Reports for 38 others are still awaited. Pawar has cancelled his tours and meetings for the next four days and will operate from his residence at Silver Oak.
Of the 12 infected, five are from Pawar's security convoy, while the remaining include the cook and a driver. They have been quarantined and are undergoing treatment at the Covid-19 health care facility at the Worli Dome.
After he had returned from his travels to Satara and Kolhapur, on August 9, Pawar had undergone testing along with his family, including daughter and party MP Supriya Sule at the Breach Candy hospital. They tested negative.
Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope said the NCP chief was doing fine. ''However, I have requested him not to travel for a few days. As far as his staff - security and cook - were concerned, the antigen and RT PCR tests are being conducted as per Covid-19 protocol,'' he noted.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has decided to conduct a fever camp in the Silver Oak Colony, comprising bungalows, in south Mumbai.
Pawar has been extensively travelling in various districts to review the Covid-19 containment and discuss the future course of action with the district authorities. He had also visited the Cyclone Nisarga-hit Raigad district. Apart from this, he has held meetings in Pune and Mumbai. Ten days ago, he had chaired a meeting with party ministers to review the current state of the Maharashtra economy. In addition, he had asked ministers to devote more time to organisational work, in a serious bid to seek coordination with the government.
Earlier, three policemen working as security guards at the gates of Matoshree, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's private residence in Bandra, tested corona-positive.
So far, seven ministers in the Thackeray-led council of ministers have tested positive, five of whom have been cured while two others continue to be under treatment. Legislators Mahesh Landge, Mukta Tilak, Rahul Kul, Abhimanyu Pawar, Geeta Jain, Saroj Ahire, Kalidas Kolambakar, Amar Rajurkar were also found Covid-positive and are now recovering.
