Express News Service
PATNA: The working chairman of Bihar Legislative Council Awadhesh Narain Singh is the latest VIP in the state to be infected with Coronavirus.
Earlier, two deputy CMs and four other ministers of the Nitish Kumar cabinet tested Covid positive ahead of the scheduled meeting of the state cabinet on Wednesday.
Nitish’s two deputies — Renu Devi and Tarkishore Prasad — tweeted saying they got infected with Coronavirus and advised those who came in their contacts to go for RT-PCR test and follow Covid guidelines.
Later, four other ministerial colleagues — Sunil Kumar, Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Ashok Choudhary and Santosh Manjhi — also tested positive. The samples were collected for the test ahead of the Cabinet meeting chaired by Nitish Kumar. The ministers revealed that they were in home isolation and following Covid guidelines. “We conveyed the message so the visitors should stop coming to our official residences,” one of the ministers said.
Earlier, six visitors at the chief minister’s weekly Janata Darbar were found infected with Coronavirus. Some catering staff at 1 Anne Marg, the official residence of the CM, were also found infected.
Former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, JD-U national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Congress MLC Prem Chandra Mishra had also tested positive. The state government decided to impose a night curfew and other restrictions from January 6 in the wake of a spike in Covid cases.
Recently, 277 doctors, junior doctors and staff of Nalanda Medical College and Hospitals were also found to be infected.
Meanwhile, the total number of active cases went up to 2,222 in the state. Patna has virtually turned into a Covid hotbed with 1,250 positive cases.
