U.P. Minister tests positive for COVID-19

Assembly Speaker has asked all legislators to get tested for COVID-19 before the Legislature session begins on August 20.

Atul Garg, Minister of State for Medical and Health in Uttar Pradesh, has tested positive for COVID-19 , two days before the scheduled session of the Assembly.

Mr. Garg said on Tuesday that he tested negative in the RT-PCR test done on August 15 but the rapid antigen test result came out positive late on Monday.

The 62-year-old legislator from Ghaziabad asked those who came in contact with him from August 16 to get tested.

Around 20 employees of the Assembly recently tested positive.

Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit said all preparations had been done to convene the session from August 20 with COVID-19 protocols in place. All legislators would have to get tested before the session and they were provided testing facilities close to their residences.

As the MLAs would have one seat vacant between them to maintain social distancing, the lobbies and balconies in the House would be utilised to accommodate them.