400 Parliament staff members test positive for COVID

More than 400 staff members of Parliament have tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the Budget Session that begins on January 29.

The Parliament has about 1,409 employees, of which 402 tested positive between January 4 and 8. Their samples have now been sent for genome sequencing to confirm Omicron presence. The list does not include those who tested positive outside the Parliament premises.

As a precautionary measure, all the staff have been advised to follow COVID safety protocol, considering the Budget session ahead. Those who came in close contact with the positive patients have been isolated and will be tested to rule out infection.

Also read: Maharashtra: Fresh restrictions after cases shoot up to 40,000+

Of the infected employees, 200 are from the Lok Sabha, 69 from Rajya Sabha and 133 are allied staff members, reads an internal message from Parliament.

Delhi’s daily COVID count crossed the 20,000-mark on Saturday, with the national capital reporting 20,181 fresh cases and seven deaths.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday (January 9) that increasing cases is a matter of concern but there is no need to panic. He reiterated the need to wear proper masks and follow all COVID-19 protocols to curb the spread of the virus.