India’s former president Pranab Mukherjee tests positive for coronavirus

India's former President Pranab Mukherjee said today that he has tested positive for Covid-19.

Mukherjee, 84, said he tested positive while on a visit to the hospital for a "separate procedure."

"On a visit to the hospital for a separate procedure, I have tested positive for Covid-19 today," he tweeted.

"I request the people who came in contact with me in the last week to please self-isolate and get tested for Covid-19," said Mukherjee, who was India's president from 2012 to 2017.

A number of Indian politicians, including Home Minister Amit Shah and Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, tested positive for the virus last week and are in hospital.

Coronavirus has affected more than 22 lakh people till today with 62,064 new cases in the last 24 hours while the death toll climbed to 44,386 with 1,007 more fatalities, the health ministry said.

Recoveries surged to 15,35,743 with a record 54,859 more people recuperating in the past 24 hours, taking the recovery rate to 69.33 percent. The case fatality rate has dropped to about 2 percent, the ministry said.

This is the fourth consecutive day that Covid-19 cases have increased by more than 60,000 in India.