Himachal Pradesh 6-time CM Virbhadra Singh tests COVID-19 positive

Himachal Pradesh ex-CM Virbhadra Singh took the first dose of vaccine at local Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital in March. Medical officials believe the veteran leader contracted the COVID virus from his son, who recently tested positive.

File photo

Shimla: Senior Congress leader and six-time Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday, doctors said here. As his son and legislator Vikramaditya Singh had tested positive on Sunday, the swab sample of Virbhadra Singh was taken for testing, a doctor told IANS.

Only last month, the former Chief Minister had taken the first dose of vaccine at local Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital. Medical officials believe that it could be because of his son testing positive that infection spread to the veteran Congress leader.

Himachal Chief Minister Jairam Thakur confirmed the news and tweeted: 

हिमाचल के पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री एवं कांग्रेस के वरिष्ठ नेता श्री वीरभद्र सिंह जी व उनके परिवार के सदस्यों के कोरोना पॉजिटिव होने का समाचार चिंताजनक है।

हमने वीरभद्र सिंह जी के परिवार से फोन पर उनका कुशलक्षेम जाना।

ईश्वर से उनके व परिवारजनों के शीघ्र स्वास्थ्य लाभ की कामना करता हूँ। — Jairam Thakur (@jairamthakurbjp) April 12, 2021

On April 12, Himachal Pradesh reported nine more COVID-19 fatalities, pushing the death toll to 1,111, while the infection count reached 70,775 with 1,089 fresh cases, PTI quoted an official saying. The hill state''s Special Health Secretary Nipun Jindal said three people died in Una district, two in Mandi and one each in Shimla, Kullu, Kangra and Sirmaur districts.

Meanwhile, 380 people recovered from the disease in the past 24 hours, he added. The active cases in the state stand at 6,069.