RANCHI: Chief Minister Hemant Soren is under scanner for Covid-19 as one of his Cabinet colleagues Mithlesh Thakur and JMM MLA Mathura Mahto were tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday. Soren, along with his Principal Secretary and Press Advisor, has put himself in home quarantine as they had come in contact with Thakur and Mahto recently.
Official release from Chief Minister’s office (CMO) stated that Soren had come in contact with Cabinet Minister Mithlesh Thakur recently following which he had put himself in home quarantine.
“Chief Minister has also requested all the CMO officials and staffers to remain in home quarantine as a precautionary measure,” stated the release.
Principal Health Secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni, however, said that contact tracing of both the politicians is being done following which further action will be taken. Meanwhile, entry of any outsider to Soren's official residence in Ranchi has been restricted.
“Contact tracing of the minister and MLA is being done on the basis of which further course of action will be taken. If it is established that the CM had come in direct contact with these two persons, the set protocol will be followed in his case also,” said the Principal Health Secretary.
Notably, a total of 165 cases were found positive in the state on Tuesday which included Cabinet Minister Mithlesh Thakur, JMM MLA Mathura Mahto, and 18 journalists in Dhanbad. After the test results, Thakur was admitted to Covid-19 ward of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi, while Mahto was admitted to the Central Hospital in Hirapur in Dhanbad.
A total of 179 Covid-19 cases were detected in Jharkhand in the last 24 hours. With this, the state's tally has reached 3056. Out of this, 2104 persons have recovered and 22 fell victims to the disease.