Bhubaneswar: Deputy Speaker of Odisha Assembly Rajanikant Singh is among 14 Ministers and MLAs who have tested positive for COVID-19 during the ongoing testing drive ahead of the commencement of the Assembly session.
"I have been tested positive for COVID-19 and have been admitted in SUM Covid Hospital, Bhubaneswar. I request each and everyone who have come in close contact with me in recent few days to get themselves tested. Jai Jagannath.," tweeted Singh.
Among Ministers, Samir Dash, Padmini Dian and Jyoti Panigrahi while among MLAs, Ashok Bala, Bishnubrat Routray, Bhagirathi Sethy, Sushant Behera, Umakanta Samantaray, Nauri Nayak, Prashant Jagdev and Sukant Nayak today tested positive for the virus.
Similarly, Pramila Mallick and Debi Mishra also tested positive for the virus on Sunday after 757 samples of MLAs, staff and journalists were tested. A total of 136 samples were detected COVID-19 positive of the total samples.
The monsoon session of the Odisha Assembly is scheduled to begin from tomorrow (September 29). Those tested positive will not be allowed to enter the Assembly during the session.