Himachal Cabinet minister Mohinder Singh Thakur tested positive for novel Coronavirus on Thursday. Thakur had met BJP National President J P Nadda a few days back in New Delhi.
On his return from Delhi, the minister had also attended the Cabinet meeting on August 24, which was chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.
He had met Nadda on August 22, an aide informed.
The development has worried the Himachal Pradesh government ahead of the state assembly’s monsoon session beginning from September 7.
Thakur is the second Cabinet minister after Sukh Ram Chaudhary to have tested positive Coronavirus, which has seen a sudden spike in the cases during last fortnight. The death toll due to the Covid-19 has reached 46 while the total cases have soared to 6615.
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Thakur holds portfolios of Revenue, Jal Shakti and Horticulture.
The minister had developed Covid-19 symptoms and had undergone Covid-19 test.
The minister took to Facebook and wrote: “Today I got the Covid-19 test done after developing some early symptoms .The report came out positive. I humbly request all those who came in my contact in the recent days to isolate themselves and also undergo a test for the virus.”
A team of doctors and health officials swung into action and sealed his office at the Secretariat, beside ordering his personal staff to quarantine.
“We are doing contract tracing. We don’t know exactly how many people had come in contact with the minister and his family members,” said a senior officer from the Health Department.
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Earlier, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had also gone into a quarantine, when a deputy secretary in the Chief Minister’s office had tested Covid-19 positive. He, however, did not contract the virus.
Himachal Pradesh on Thursday recorded 199 fresh Covid-19 cases.
