Uttarakhand minister Satpal Maharaj, family members test positive for coronavirus

Uttarakhand Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj, his wife Amrita Rawat and 21 others, including members of his family and staff, tested positive for coronavirus, an official said on Sunday.

Satpal Maharaj had attended a meeting of the state cabinet on Friday.

Asked whether other cabinet ministers who attended the meeting will be quarantined, state government spokesman Madan Kaushik told reporters that they will follow the advice given by the Health Department as per the guidelines of the Centre.

According to state Health Department spokesperson J C Pandey, the minister’s wife tested positive for the infection on Saturday while his two sons and their wives, along with 17 others, were found infected with the virus on Sunday.

Amrita Rawat was admitted to the AIIMS, Rishikesh, on Sunday morning. The minister and other members of his family are too kept at the facility, an AIIMS official told PTI.

The 17 others could not be admitted to the hospital due to a shortage of space, the official said.

Amrita Rawat was a minister in the previous Congress government.