Health Ministry Official Luv Agarwal Who Led Covid-19 Briefings Tests Positive; Goes Into Home Isolation

Agarwal, who belongs to Uttar Pradesh, was the government's spokesperson at COVID-19 situation briefings. In view of his health conditions, he has been now replaced by Secretary Rajesh Bhushan himself.

Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal. (File Photo/ PTI)

New Delhi: Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal, the face of the COVID-19 press briefing since the start of the pandemic's outbreak, has been found to be infected with the novel Coronavirus disease.  The 48-year-old Health Ministry official himself informed about the unfortunate development on Friday. The official took to the Twitter and said "Dear all, just to inform that I have tested positive for COVID-19 and initiating home isolation as per guidelines." Agarwal also advised all his friends to monitor their health. "Requesting all my friends, colleagues for self monitoring. Contact tracing will be done by Health Team. Hoping to see everyone soon," Agarwal added.

Dear All,Just to inform that I have tested positive for Covid 19 and initiating home isolation as per guidelines. Requesting all my friends, colleagues for self monitoring. Contact tracing will be done by Health Team. Hoping to see everyone soon.

— lavagarwal (@lavagarwal) August 14, 2020

Agarwal, who belongs to Uttar Pradesh, is a 1996 batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre. The IIT-Delhi graduate was the government's spokesperson at COVID-19 situation briefings. In view of his health conditions, he has been now replaced by Secretary Rajesh Bhushan himself. In another development today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah who was undergoing treatment for novel Coronavirus, has finally tested negative for the COVID-19 test. Shah took to the Twitter on Friday to announce that his samples for COVID-19 test resulted negative. The 55-year-old Shah, who is diabetic, went on to say that he will stay in home isolation for a few more days on the advice of doctors. Meanwhile, India has witnessed another significant spike in the single-day COVID-19 cases with fresh 64,553 infections reported in the last 24 hours. Along with 64,553 infections, 1,007 Coronavirus fatalities have been reported across the country in the past day. With this, the total death toll has risen to 48,040.