The COVID-19 outbreak and the rapid spread in Tamil Nadu have been surfacing disturbing developments in the state government machinery amid the containment measures as a dozen legislators including senior cabinet ministers were tested positive for the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Earlier, three senior ministers - Higher Education Minister KP Anbalagan, Electricity Minister Thangamani, and Cooperation Minister Sellur Raju have tested positive for the virus. In line with them, another senior minister of the state has now tested positive for the viral infection. 

According to the reports, Tamil Nadu Labor Welfare Minister Nilofer Kafeel has tested positive for the pandemic on Thursday. She has become the fourth minister in Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami's cabinet confirmed to have contracted to the virus and she has currently been under a home quarantine in Chennai. 

Nilofer Kafeel has been asymptomatic and she has kept herself under quarantine as per the health protocols. Some reports say that her family members were taken to the hospital to get tested for the virus. On Thursday, another Minister OS Manian, who is in charge of handlooms, has kept himself under home quarantine.

Although Manian hasn't spelled positive for the infection, he has quarantined himself after one of his staff members tested positive. KP Anbalagan was the first minister in the state to test positive after which other three ministers Thangamani, Sellur Raju, and Nilofer Kafeel spelled positive for the virus. 

The reports stated that KP Anbalagan was receiving treatment at MIOT Hospitals in Chennai and he has got discharged on Wednesday while three of his colleagues are currently under treatment. On Tuesday, Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami went through COVID-19 testing and his results returned negative. 

So far, a dozen MLAs from both ruling ADMK and opposition DMK parties have tested positive for the virus including ministers. DMK's J Anbalagan has become the first MLA to die due to COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu and in India after he succumbed to the infection on June 10. The rest of the lawmakers are either discharged or getting treated at the hospitals.