Uttar Pradesh: CM Yogi Adityanath Tests Positive for COVID-19
Image Courtesy: Business Standard
Lucknow, April 14: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
He had isolated himself even before the test results on Tuesday after some officials who came in contact tested positive for COVID-19.
"After initial symptoms, I got myself tested. My report is positive. I am in self-isolation and following doctors advice. I am doing all the works virtually," Adityanath tweeted from his official Twitter handle.
"All the activities of the government are running normally. Those who came in my contact should undergo testing and take precautions," the chief minister said.
Adityanath had taken the first dose of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin on April 5. The immunity to the virus develops several days after the second dose.
Earlier, he had said, "The officers of my office tested positive for coronavirus. They were in touch with me, therefore, as a precaution, I am isolating myself and starting all my work digitally."
Some officials, including his Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Abhishek Kaushik, tested positive for COVID-19.
The chief minister, however, had not identified the officials who were tested for the infection.
The UP CM was actively involved in election campaigning in West Bengal. Yogi Adityanath addressed a rally in Hooghly district last Thursday where he said the BJP would bring in the anti-Romeo squad to West Bengal if elected.
On April 12, Adityanath had attended a programme with Cabinet minister Ashutosh Tandon 'Gopalji' in the state capital. Tandon has also tested positive.
With India recording over 1.8 lakh COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, Adityanath's UP is the state with the second-highest number of cases after Maharashtra. There are concerns over the state of UP's public healthcare system.
On Tuesday the Allahabad High Court directed the UP government to look into the viability of complete lockdown in districts where COVID-19 has spread at alarming rate over the last two or three weeks. It said if the situation was not handled carefully and cautiously it may lead to complete collapse of the public health system.
There are 95,980 active known cases of COVID-19 in UP at the moment, with 9,309 deaths in the state due to the disease. Districts like Prayagraj, Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur, Gorakhpur have been badly hit by COVID-19.
With PTI Inputs
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