BALASORE: BJD MLA of Remuna Sudhanshu Sekhar Parida tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday. He is the third legislator of the State and second from Balasore district to get infected with the virus. The 45-year-old legislator was in home quarantine after coming in contact with infected BJP MLA of Nilagiri Sukanta Nayak at a condolence meeting for Balasore Sadar MLA Madan Mohan Dutta who died last month.
Nayak had tested positive on July 6. “I was in home quarantine since the Nilagiri MLA tested positive. After seven days, I had cough and light fever following which I requested health officials to collect my swab sample. My swab was collected on July 11. CDMO of Balasore Dulalsen Jagatdeo informed me that my report was positive at around 3 pm on Tuesday,” said Parida.
The MLA informed that only his wife came in contact with him during his stay at home. “I have requested the CDMO to send some health workers to collect swab sample of my wife,” he said. Parida was admitted to Jyothi Covid Hospital at Balasore. Sources said 103 persons including Union Minister and Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi, former MP Rabindra Jena and a few MLAs are in home quarantine as they had attended the condolence meeting. Earlier BJD legislator of Salepur Prashant Behera had also tested positive.