NAGAPATTINAM: Poompuhar MLA S Pavunraj, who had attended an opinion hearing event in Mayiladuthurai on July 30, tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday night.
He is now the third elected representative from Nagapattinam district to contract the viral infection.
Earlier, Nagapattinam MP M Selvaraj and Mayiladuthurai MP S Ramalingam had tested positive after attending the opinion hearing event. The meeting was about the bifurcation of Nagapattinam district and the formation of the Mayiladuthurai district.
Five MLAs, two MPs, four IAS officers, and two IPS officers had attended the two meetings in Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai on July 30. Nagapattinam Collector Praveen P Nair, additional collector MS Prasanth, and Handlooms and Textiles Minister OS Manian were among the participants to have tested negative since.
"The participants of the meetings are taking rest following these confirmations," district epidemiologist Liakath Ali said. "We learnt that Pavunraj had fever and cold after he attended the opinion-hearing meeting in Mayiladuthurai on July 30.
He had participated in a party-level gathering in Mayiladuthurai,” said AIADMK’s Nagapattinam town secretary T Kathiravan. “He went to Chennai for the treatment on Monday and his result was confirmed on Tuesday night," he added.
The lawmaker had also attended an event in Thirunagari village near Poompuhar on July 30 and laid foundation stones for the new tail-end regulator for the Uppanaru river. Several farmers, AIADMK functionaries, officials, and elected representatives had participated in that event.