Gandhinagar, Mar 31 (IANS): As the month-long Budget session nears its end in the Gujarat Assembly, a total of 13 lawmakers have so far tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 30 days.

On Tuesday, three legislators tested positive for the virus.

According to sources, state Energy Minister Saurabh Patel and another BJP legislator Dushyant Patel tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday. The senior most legislator in the Gujarat Assembly, Mohansinh Rathwa, also tested positive on Tuesday.

Several staff members of the Assembly have also tested positive for the virus, while two of them have succumbed to the disease.

Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel left the ongoing Budget session midway after feeling unwell, two days after testing negative for coronavirus, officials said.

Patel, 65, whose RT-PCR test was negative a couple of days back, left the Assembly during the question hour and headed back to his bungalow, BJP's chief whip Pankaj Desai said.

"He left the Assembly as he was feeling unwell. He is taking rest at his home. He had tested negative for coronavirus two days back. He will again get tested for the virus," Desai said.

The Speaker of the Gujarat Assembly, Rajendra Trivedi, has announced a ban on the entry of visitors into to Assembly building.

Despite the rise in the number of Corona cases in the state, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has ruled out cutting short the Budget session that ends on April 1.

According to sources, around 18 employees of the government Circuit House in Gandhinagar were found to Covid positive on Tuesday, forcing the authorities to shut it down.