Hemant Soren in home quarantine after minister tests positive

Ranchi, Aug 19 Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has quarantined himself after Health Minister Banna Gupta was found coronavirus positive.

Banna Gupta had attended a cabinet meeting presided over by the Chief Minister at the state secretariat in Ranchi on Tuesday. Three hours after the cabinet meeting, Banna Gupta's test report was found positive.

So far, the Chief Minister has got himself tested twice for Covid-19. According to sources in the government, he will again go for a coronavirus test after four days. Earlier, 20 staffers at the Chief Minister's house were found coronavirus positive.

Soren on Wednesday cancelled all programmes.

Banna Gupta is the second Minster who has been found positive. Earlier, Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Mithilesh Thakur was found Covid-19 positive. Till now five legislators have tested corona positive.

More than 25,000 people have tested Covid-19 positive and the death toll has reached 265 in the state.

( With inputs from IANS )