SPORTS MINISTER KIREN RIJIJU TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

On 17th April, 49-year-old, Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports and Ayush and Minister of State, Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju had been tested positive for COVID-19 but according to him, he is feeling fit and fine. The BJP minister announced the news of him being COVID-19 positive through his Twitter handle. “After getting repeated test for Covid-19, today my report has come out positive,” Mr. Kiren Rijiju wrote on his twitter handle. “I’m taking the advice of the Doctors. I request all those who have come in my contact recently to be observant, exercise self-quarantine and get themselves tested. I’m physically fit and fine.” he added. On 16th April, the Arunachal Pradesh MP was in Uttarakhand to inaugurate a Water Sports and Adventure Institute in Koti Colony at Tehri in Uttarakhand. On 15th April, Rijiju had visited the Nelong Valley region of Uttarkashi district, accompanied by Surjeet Singh Deswal, the director-general of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat, who recovered recently from the dreaded infection, was with him at the inauguration ceremony. Rijiju has been on the road in recent times. In the second week of April, he inaugurated the Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE) for rowing at the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council Water Sports Academy. On 13th April, India is witnessing an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases with 2,34,692 fresh infections being reported in the country, the biggest daily spike so far. A senior official stated on 17th April, at least 28 more people, including three security personnel, tested positive for Covid-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, which took the tally in the state to 16,948. Of the 28 cases, 24 were detected through rapid antigen tests, three via the RT-PCR method and one with the help of the TrueNAT process. According to State Surveillance Officer Dr. Lobsang Jampa, the death toll remained unchanged at 56. Eight new cases were reported from the Capital Complex Region, seven from Lower Dibang Valley, five from West Kameng, two each from Papumpare and East Kameng, and one each from Leparada and East Siang district. Accordingly, the number of active patients in the northeastern state increased to 92.