Union Minister Pratap Sarangi quarantines himself after sharing dais with COVID-infected MLA

Bhubaneswar: Union minister and Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi has quarantined himself at his New Delhi residence after a BJP MLA from Odisha he shared the dais with at two events last week tested positive for COVID-19.

In a series of tweets on Monday night, the Union minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) said he is "hale and hearty".

Sarangi said he had shared the dais with Sukanta Kumar Nayak, the MLA from Nilagiri constituency in Balasore district, at two events on July 2 and 3.

"On being informed that MLA Nilagiri has been tested positive for #COVID-19, I self quarantined myself at my official residence in Delhi as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare," he said.

Nayak tested positive for COVID-19 earlier on Monday. He is the first legislator in Odisha to be infected with the disease.

He said he had recently attended some meetings in Bhubaneswar and Nilagiri, and the funeral of former Balasore Sadar MLA Madan Mohan Dutta. Sarangi had also attended the funeral.

Nayak had also organised a gathering of members of a women's self-help group in his constituency. Nayak has been admitted to a COVID-19 hospital in Balasore.

Balasore Sub-collector Harishchandra Jena said the MLA's contacts are being traced. All of them will be advised to go into quarantine and they will be kept under observation for 14 days.