Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat tests positive for Covid-19

The CM has isolated himself on doctors’ advice. Tweeting about his condition, he requested all those who had come in contact with him to isolate themselves and also get tested

Updated on: Dec 18, 2020, 16:05:54 IST

Hindustan Times, Dehradun | By Neeraj Santoshi

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Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday and isolated himself at his residence.

Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. (File photo)

Sharing this on his Twitter handle in the afternoon, Rawat tweeted, “I had got Covid test done. And my report has come positive. My health condition is fine and I don’t have any symptoms too. On the advice of doctors, I will remain in home isolation. I request all those who have come into contact with me in last few days, to isolate themselves and get themselves tested.”

This is not the first time Rawat has isolated himself during the epidemic. In September, he had isolated himself after his Officer on Special Duty had tested positive for Covid-19. Earlier on August 26, the chief minister had gone into self-isolation after three of his staff tested positive for Covid-19.

Earlier this year on June 1, Rawat and two of his ministers had decided to quarantine themselves after Cabinet minister Satpal Maharaj tested positive for Covid-19. Rawat had attended a Cabinet meeting with Maharaj. Later on June 6, Rawat had tested negative for Covid-19.

Many senior government functionaries have also tested Covid-19 positive in the state in the past week or so. On Wednesday, Uttarakhand health secretary Amit Singh Negi tested positive for Covid-19. On December 8, Amita Upreti, director general of the health department, had also tested positive for Covid-19.

Uttarakhand has so far reported over 84,000 Covid-19 positive cases and 1,384 deaths. The positivity rate in the state stands at 5.4% and case fatality rate at 1.63%. Dehradun district has so far reported the maximum 25,012 Covid-19 positive cases followed by Haridwar (12,905) and US Nagar (10,787).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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