Bengaluru, September 1: Karnataka Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader KS Eshwarappa tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. The swab samples of the 72-year-old leader were collected a day earlier. He is expected to remain in home isolation under medical observation. The Minister could also be rushed to the hospital if the symptoms turn stronger.

Eshwarappa is the sixth Minister in the Karnataka government to have contracted the lethal infection. The five others, including Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, succeeded in recovering from the disease. Considering Eshwarappa's age, he would continue to remain under keen observation. India's COVID-19 Tally Nears 37 Lakh Mark With Around 70,000 New Coronavirus Cases And 819 Deaths in Past 24 Hours.

Eshwarappa, who heads the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Ministry in the Yediyurappa-led BJP government, was quarantined in the month of July after a member of his house staff tested positive for COVID-19.

During the period when he was quarantined at home, Eshwarappa continued to discharge his duties from indoors. Apart from heading the RDPR Ministry, he is also the District Incharge Minister of Shivamogga.

Eshwarappa's COVID-19 positive report came a day after his party colleague and BJP state unit chief Naleen Kumar Kateel was diagnosed with the same disease. He was admitted to a hospital in Mangaluru.

Karnataka is among the worst-affected states in India due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with an overall caseload of 3.35 lakh. The death toll surged to 5,589 on Monday, with the state health department recording 106 fatalities in the preceding 24 hours.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 01, 2020 05:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).