Health Ministry's Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal, who was the face of the Covid-19 press briefing at the start of the pandemic's outbreak, has tested positive for the viral disease, an official said on Friday.

Lav Agarwal

New Delhi:

A top-ranking official from National Centre for Disease Control confirmed that Agarwal, 48, has tested positive.

"The current condition of Agarwal is not critical and he is serving his quarantine period in home," the official said.

A 1996 batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, the IIT-Delhi graduate was the government's spokesperson at Covid-19 situation briefings but now has been replaced by Secretary Rajesh Bhushan himself.