Union Minister Smriti Irani tested positive for coronavirus

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday, 28 October, took to Twitter to announce that she had tested positive for COVID-19.

The 44-year-old actor-turned-politician had been actively campaigning for the Bihar elections, seeking votes for the National Democratic Alliance government in the state.

Irani further asked those who had come in contact with her to ‘get themselves tested at the earliest.’

The Union minister for Women and Child Development (WCD) had also travelled to her Lok Sabha (LS) constituency Amethi last week and announced several projects for her constituency, which used to be a Gandhi family’s pocket borough for years until she wrested the prestigious seat from Rahul Gandhi in last year’s parliamentary polls, during the festive season.

It was also her first visit to Amethi since the coronavirus disease (Covid-19)-induced lockdown restrictions, which were enforced from the end of March in a bid to keep the viral infection at bay.

Home Minister Amit Shah, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Shripad Yesso Naik, Nitin Gadkari, Prahlad Singh Patel and Ramdas Athawale are the other central ministers who had contracted the virus. Besides the ministers, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Karnataka CM B S Yediyurappa had also tested positive for Covid-19.