Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said he has tested positive for coronavirus and requested people who came in contact with him recently to follow protocol. His office said the minister is in Nagpur and has slight fever. "Yesterday, I was feeling weak and consulted my Doctor. During the course of my check up, I have been tested COVID 19 positive. I am at present doing well with the blessings and good wishes of all. I have isolated myself," Gadkari tweeted.
The Road Transport and Highways and MSMEs minister in another tweet requested all who have come in his contact to follow protocol. “I request everyone who has come in my contact to be careful and follow the protocol. Stay safe,” he added.
All parliamentarians and staff of the secretariats of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had undergone mandatory COVID-19 tests before the start of the monsoon session on Monday. Mediapersons covering the Parliament's proceedings also underwent the test and at least one of them has tested positive, sources said.
"ICMR is honoured to have carried out testing of 2500+ samples of Hon'ble Members of Parliament and other officials on war footing over the weekend in service of the nation," the Indian Council of Medical Research had tweeted on Monday.
According to details available with Parliament authorities, around 30 MPs and over 50 employees of the secretariats had tested positive for coronavirus infection.
The monsoon session of Parliament is being held in two shifts — the Rajya Sabha in the morning and the Lok Sabha in the second half of the day.
Several other Union Ministers in India have tested positive for coronavirus. Union Home Minister Amit Shah was the first Minister from the Cabinet to get diagnosed with COVID-19. Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Chaudhary and MoS, State Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation Arjun Ram Meghwal are the other ministers who have tested positive for coronavirus till date.