400 Parliament staff test positive for COVID-19 ahead of budget session

`Close to 402 staffs were tested positive for COVID-19 from January 4-8 and all samples have been sent to genome sequencing for Omicron variant confirmation,` an official said.

New Delhi: More than 400 Parliament staff members were tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the Budget Session of the Parliament. 

According to official sources, 402 staff members were tested positive out of the 1,409 staff of Parliament for the virus from January 4 to 8 after which their samples were sent for genome sequencing to confirm the variant.

"Close to 402 staffs were tested positive for COVID-19 from January 4-8 and all samples have been sent to genome sequencing for Omicron variant confirmation," an official was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Additionally, as per an internal message from the staff of Parliament, the staffs are advised to follow the precautions as per the guidelines of the government.

"There is a consolidated list of 200 Lok Sabha and 69 from Rajya Sabha and 133 allied staff who have tested positive, but we all need to take proper precautions," an internal message read.

The above message does not include who were tested for COVID outside the Parliament premises. It may be noted that several employees of both the Houses of the Parliament were put in isolation after they came into contact with their infected colleagues during work. 

Various officials of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are also in isolation.

A recent order by the DDMA directed all government offices to run under 50 percent of staff capacity and the rest will work from home. Taking the new variant of COVID-19, Omicron, seriously the Central government also exempted its staff from biometric (daily punching) for attendance.

(With ANI inputs)