Uttarakhand CM Tirath Singh Rawat tests positive for Covid-19

Tirath Singh Rawat met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda at his residence in the national capital on Friday.

Uttarakhand chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat, who was expected to be in Delhi for a four-day visit, tweeted on Monday he has contracted the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and urged people he met in the last few days to get tested. “My corona test report came back positive. I am fine and I have no problem. I have isolated myself under the supervision of the doctors. Those of you who have come in close contact with me in the last few days, please be cautious and get yourself checked,” Rawat’s tweet, roughly translated from Hindi, read. “I wish everyone good health,” he also said.

Uttarakhand chief minister Rawat urged people he met in the last few days to get tested for Covid-19. (PTI Photo)

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Rawat had met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda at his residence in the national capital on Friday. News agency ANI reported citing an official from the chief minister's office that Rawat planned to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and other cabinet ministers in Delhi during his visit.

The Uttarakhand government has been asked by the Centre to put in place stringent measures to control the spread of the viral disease during the upcoming Mahakumbh scheduled to begin in Haridwar on April 1. Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote to state chief secretary Om Prakash “strongly highlighting the concerns raised by the high-level central team in its visit to Uttarakhand and about the need of stringent measures to control the spread of Covid19 during Kumbh Mela”.

The development comes a day after the Uttarakhand chief minister assured devotees that all “unnecessary” restrictions imposed to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic will be removed for the event. Rawat also asserted that “faith is stronger than fear”.

Uttarakhand was among the 15 states and Union territories that did not report any Covid-19 related deaths, according to the Union ministry of health and family welfare on Monday.