New Delhi: The wife of former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Shanta Kumar succumbed to Covvd-19 in the early hours of Tuesday. A report by PTI,  Santosh Shailja had tested positive for coronavirus a few days ago. She was undergoing treatment at Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, in Kangra district of the state.

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The BJP leader who was the third Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh had also tested positive four days ago. He was receiving treatment at the Tanda hospital. According to the report four other family members, his personal secretary, security officer, and driver have also tested positive.

In a heartfelt Facebook message, Kumar prayed for the soul and also wished for strength for his family. He also thanked  Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had called on Sunday for his concern for his family. Earlier in a Facebook post, he had informed that his wife had been hospitalised for the past 3 days.

Kumar became the CM of Himachal Pradesh in 1977 and held the post till 1980. In 2014, Kumar was elected to the 16th Lok Sabha from Kangra.

While Covid-19 cases in India have seen a dip on Monday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the earlier guidelines for Covid-19 surveillance till January 31, 2021. In an order issued, the MHA mandated states and UTs to continue strict enforcement of the measures as prescribed to them by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This development comes in the backdrop of a new mutating coronavirus strain which was recently discovered in the UK.