Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani hospitalised after testing positive for covid-19

US President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani has tested positive for COVID-19. He is the latest member of Trump's inner circle to contract the virus.

Taking to Twitter, the President said: "@RudyGiuliani, by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, and who has been working tirelessly exposing the most corrupt election (by far!) in the history of the USA, has tested positive for the China Virus. Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!"

Giuliani was admitted Sunday to Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington.

He has been spearheading Trump’s floundering effort to overturn his Nov. 3 election loss to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden through a flurry of lawsuits. Both Trump and Giuliani have repeatedly claimed, contrary to evidence, that the outcome was marred by widespread fraud.

State and federal officials have repeatedly said there is no evidence of fraud on any significant scale.

Giuliani visited Georgia on Thursday, where he urged state lawmakers to stop certification of Biden’s win after making similar pleas in Michigan on Wednesday and Arizona on Monday.

Trump and many of his close associates have balked at public health officials’ advice to wear masks and avoid crowds to stem transmission of the respiratory illness, which has roared to record levels in the United States as winter approaches.

Giuliani, who developed an international profile as “America’s Mayor” for his leadership after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, has faced mounting legal troubles during the Trump administration.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have been investigating Giuliani’s business dealings in Ukraine, and two associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman have been charged with campaign finance violations.

(With inputs from agencies)