Maharashtra: BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis tests positive for COVID-19

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 5 (ANI): Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in home isolation.
Fadnavis, who is the leader of opposition in the Maharashtra assembly, had earlier also contracted the viral infection in October 2020.
On Sunday, the former state chief minister in a tweet said, "I have tested COVID-19 positive and in home isolation. Taking medication and treatment as per the doctor's advice. Those who have come in contact with me are advised to get COVID-19 tests done. Take care everyone!"
Earlier, when Fadnavis contracted the infection in 2020, he had undergone treatment in a government hospital.
On Sunday, Maharashtra logged 1,494 cases which pushed the total figure to 78,93,197. As many as 614 patients recovered and one more patient succumbed to the virus, taking the total number of recoveries and deaths to 77,38,564 and 1,47,866 respectively.
A day ago, state health minister Rajesh Tope said that wearing masks is not mandatory yet in public places, but appealed to people to wear them in areas of COVID-19 surge.
"The COVID-19 task force met this week and it was decided to appeal to the citizens to use masks both in crowded places as well as closed places like buses, trains, schools and offices. This is an appeal and we have not made masks compulsory till now," Tope said in Pune. He said the current surge in cases in Maharashtra was confined to specific districts including Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Thane, Palghar and Raigad.
Maharashtra environment and tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday said the state could be seeing the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, while urging people not to panic. Speaking to reporters, Thackeray said COVID-19 related deaths are not increasing in the state.
The COVID-19 cases in India have crossed the 4,000-mark for the second time in the past four days on Sunday, as the country logged 4,270 fresh infections in the past 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry. On Friday, after nearly three months, the daily tally of COVID-19 cases in India had crossed the 4,000-mark with the country recording 4,041 fresh infections. However, the country reported a marginal dip yesterday with 3,962 new COVID cases.
With this, India's active COVID caseload stands at 24,052, constituting 1.03 per cent of the country's total positive cases. (ANI)