Odisha MLA, wife test positive for COVID-19

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A BJD MLA, his wife and five employees of the Odisha assembly have tested positive for COVID-19, an official said on Friday. Srikant Sahu, who represents Polasara in the assembly, is the fourth legislator in the state to have contracted the infection.

"Both of us are in home isolation as the symptoms are mild. I have not been to the state assembly for the last two months," Sahu said.

"My wife and I had been to Ganjam where COVID-19 symptoms surfaced. We came here and gave our swab samples on Tuesday. The infection was confirmed today," the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA said.

Sahu and his wife belong to Ganjam district, which has emerged as a hotspot for coronavirus cases.

They were in home quarantine in Bhubaneswar before testing positive for the virus, the official said.

Meanwhile, Speaker S N Patro said, "At least 12 employees had attended an assembly committee meeting early this month. Five of them tested positive for COVID-19 and test reports of the rest are yet to come."

The speaker said the assembly building will be sanitised and the office will open on August 4 after lockdown ends on July 31.

Earlier, three other legislators -- Nilgiri MLA Sukanta Kumar Nayak, Remuna MLA Sudhanshu Sekhar Parida and Salipur MLA Prasant Behera-- were infected with the virus.

They have now recovered from the disease, the official said.

The eastern state has a 147-member House.