Of 2,847 Tests Done In Parliament During Third Wave, Results Of 875 Positive: Sources

Results of 875 people, who were tested for Covid in Parliament, have returned positive, sources said on Sunday, days before the start of its Winter Session. The data, they said, is of tests conducted since the beginning of the third wave of the pandemic till January 20. The session is scheduled to start from January 31 and its first part will conclude on February 11.

As many as 2,847 tests have been conducted in Parliament since the starting of the third wave, and out of these results of 875 returned positive, the sources said. Out of the total tests, 915 were conducted by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat and 271 samples were found to be positive for the infection, they said.

According to the sources, the session will be held following Covid-related protocols. In the wake of a spike in Covid cases, a call has to be taken whether Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will sit simultaneously or in different shifts, they said.

Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has also tested positive for Covid. This is for the second time that Naidu has been infected with the virus. "Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, who is in Hyderabad, tested COVID positive today. He has decided to remain in self-isolation for a week. He has advised all those who came in contact with him to isolate themselves and get tested," the Vice President Secretariat tweeted. It seems unlikely that he will participate in Republic Day celebrations on Wednesday.

With PTI Inputs