Odisha BJD MLA Tests Positive for Coronavirus, Ninth Legislator to Get Infected

A health worker in personal protective equipment (PPE) puts a swab sample into a vial at a school which was turned into a centre to conduct tests for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), amid the spread of the disease. (Representational Image: Reuters)

BJD Bhadrak MLA Sanjib Mallick on Friday announced that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

PTI
Last Updated: August 21, 2020, 7:45 PM IST

Another ruling Biju Janata Dal MLA on Friday tested positive for COVID-19, taking the total number of lawmakers infected by the virus in the state to nine. BJD Bhadrak MLA Sanjib Mallick on Friday announced that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

"Today my covid test done and test results got positive. I am requesting all those who are in my contact please do covid test and obey the covid positive guideline," Mallick, a first time MLA tweeted.

Earlier, Rural Development and Labour Minister Susanta Singh, Bhubaneswar (Central) MLA Ananta Narayan Jena, Khandapada MLA S R Patnaik, Polasara MLA Srikant Sahu, Remuna MLA Sudhanshu Shekhar Parida, Nilgiri MLA Sukanta Kumar Nayak and Salepur MLA Prasant Behera had tested positive for the virus.

BJP MP from Bargarh Suresh Pujari has also tested positive for COVID-19, a health official said.

Odisha till Friday has reported 72,718 COVID-19 cases and 390 deaths.