All parliamentarians and staff of the secretariats of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had undergone mandatory COVID-19 tests before the start of the monsoon session.
As per the reports of these tests, around 30 MPs and over 50 employees of the secretariats tested positive for coronavirus, the sources said.
One of the infected MPs, Meenakshi Lekhi tweeted: "After the routine Parliament test for COVID & genome test it's confirmed that I have tested positive for the virus. I am currently in good health & spirits. I request everyone who has been recently in contact with me to get tested. Together We will fight & defeat Corona."
After the routine Parliament test for COVID & genome test it’s confirmed that I have tested positive for the virus. I am currently in good health & spirits. I request everyone who has been recently in contact with me to get tested. Together We will fight & defeat Corona🙏🏽
— Meenakashi Lekhi (@M_Lekhi) September 14, 2020
BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar in a tweet on Sunday morning declared he had tested Covid-19 positive.
"I am doing well and taking doctors' advice. Requesting all those who have come in close contact with me in the last few days to monitor their health and get tested in case of any symptoms," Majumdar tweeted.
I have tested #Covid19 positive today. I am doing well & taking doctors advice.
— Dr. Sukanta Majumdar (@DrSukantaMajum1) September 13, 2020
Requesting all those who have come in close contact with me in the last few days to monitor their health and get tested in case of any symptoms.@JoshiPralhad @arjunrammeghwal @VMBJP @DilipGhoshBJP
The results sparked a Covid-19 scare in Parliament which is meeting with protocols such as social distancing, usage of masks and sanitisers. The Monsoon session is already being held after a long delay and in a truncated fashion. The session normally begins in the last week of June or in the first week of July and lasts for a month.
Among the other changes and precautions being undertaken for smooth functioning amid the Covid crisis that has pushed India's disease burden to over 48.5 lakh cases, the government decided that Lok Sabha will sit from 9 am to 1 pm while the Rajya Sabha will function from 3 pm to 7 pm, with special seating for Members of Parliament (MPs) to ensure social distancing.
All those who have tested positive have been asked to stay in quarantine and they did not come to Parliament.
Around 200 of the 785 MPs are above the age of 65 years and are among the population vulnerable to coronavirus.
The monsoon session, which began on Monday, is being held in two different shifts -- Rajya Sabha will sit in the mornings and Lok Sabha in the second half of the day.
