Padma Shri recipient Nirmal Singh tests positive for COVID-19

Padma Shri recipient and former "Hazoori Raagi" at the Golden Temple, Nirmal Singh, has tested positive for Coronavirus, a health official said on Wednesday. The report of the samples of the 62-year-old "Gurbani" exponent came positive, Civil Surgeon Prabhdeep Kaur Johal said here.

Singh, who recently returned from abroad, was admitted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital after he complained of breathlessness and dizziness on March 30, she said. Meanwhile, police sealed the area around Singh's residence to check the spread of the infection.

According to officials, Singh had held a large ''sammelan'' (religious gathering) in Delhi and some other places after he returned from abroad. Singh, along with his family members and other relatives, had performed a‘kirtan’ at a house in Chandigarh on March 19. The civil surgeon said his two daughters, son, wife, a driver and six others who accompanied him have been isolated at a hospital here and their samples will be taken for testing.

She further said the Chandigarh administration has been informed about the religious gathering organised by him at Sector 27 there.  Singh has the knowledge of all 31 ''raags'' in the Gurbani of the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh holy book). He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2009.