Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently in home isolation, his office said on Monday.
"Honourable Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar's coronavirus test was found to be positive. As per the doctors' advice, he is in home isolation. He has appealed to everyone to take precautions against the virus," the CMO said in a tweet.
Notably, on Monday last, several attendees of his 'Janta Ke Durbar Mein Mukhyamantri' programme had tested positive for the contagion.
A day later, many ministers, including both Deputy CMs had tested positive just ahead of a cabinet meeting. This had prompted Kumar to suspend many of his programmes including the state-wide 'Samaj Sudhar Abhiyan' against alcohol consumption, and social evils like dowry and child marriage.
In the past one week, several staff members deployed at the Chief Minister's 1, Anne Marg, residence have been found infected with the coronavirus.
Bihar reported 5,022 fresh COVID-19 infections on Sunday, 496 more than the previous day, pushing the tally to 7,45,399. The number of active COVID-19 cases witnessed a jump from 12,311 on the previous day to 16,897 on Sunday while the death toll rose to 12,101.
Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he had tested positive for COVID-19. In a tweet, Singh said he has "mild symptoms" and is under home quarantine.
"I have tested positive for Corona today with mild symptoms. I am under home quarantine. I request everyone who have recently come in my contact to isolate themselves and get tested," he said.
Meanwhile, the Centre on Monday directed all states and Union territories to keep a watch on cases under home isolation and in hospitals, saying 5 to 10 per cent of the active cases this time so far needed hospitalisation and the situation is dynamic and may change rapidly.
The rise in COVID-19 cases in various parts of the country appears to be driven by the Omicron variant as well as by the continued presence of Delta, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said and stressed on augmenting human resources, particularly healthcare workers, for Covid management.