Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia takes charge of health ministry after Satyendra Jain tests positive for COVID-19

Health minister Satyendra Jain had tested negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday but on the subsequent retest tested positive

New Delhi: Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday (June 18) took over the charge of health, PWD, power and other departments held by his Cabinet colleague Satyendra Jain, who has tested positive for COVID-19, an official said.

Jain was admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital early Tuesday after running high fever and suffering a sudden drop in oxygen level. The 55-year-old leader’s test result came positive on Wednesday evening after a second test.

In a statement, the Delhi health minister’s office said, “Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain tests positive for COVID-19.”

Jain will remain the Cabinet minister without any portfolio in the Arvind Kejriwal government until he recovers, he said, adding, “The deputy chief minister has been given the charge of health, public works department, power and other departments.”

On Sunday, Jain attended a high-level meeting on the coronavirus situation in the national capital, chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah, which was also attended by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Kejriwal, Sisodia and Union health minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan.

Jain was brought to the hospital and was administered a test for the novel coronavirus infection on Tuesday morning, for which he tested negative. But he still ran fever and showed symptoms, so another test was done after 24 hours of the first.

Besides Jain, AAP MLA Atishi and two other leaders of the party — Akshay Marathe, an advisor to chief minister Kejriwal and Anindita Mathur, an advisor to Sisodia, also tested positive for the viral disease on Wednesday. Party functionaries said swab samples of all three of them were collected on Tuesday after they developed mild symptoms.

On Wednesday, Delhi recorded 2,414 coronavirus cases, the highest single-day spike, taking the tally in the city to over 47,000 while the death toll from the disease climbed to 1,904.

(With inputs from PTI)