Maharashtra budget session: 36 people test COVID-19 positive in state legislative assembly

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Mumbai: A total of 36 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Maharashtra Legislative assembly, informed JJ hospital on Monday (March 8).

"A total of 2,746 samples were tested for re-entry to the legislative assembly for the budget session of Maharashtra on March 6 and 7, out of which 36 were found positive," JJ hospital said in a statement.

The samples were taken from MLAs, their staff, government officials, police personnel and journalists, etc who are attending the assembly sessions from last week. A test was conducted a week back also when over 3,900 samples were tested and 42 were found COVID-19 positive.

The Maharashtra assembly will table the budget on Monday morning. The budget will be presented by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar who holds charge of the finance ministry.

The budget session of the Maharashtra assembly was earlier curtailed due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. 

After reporting more than 10,000 fresh coronavirus positive cases on two days in a row, Maharashtra on Sunday added 11,141 new infections, taking the tally to 22,19,727 while 38 deaths pushed the toll to 52,478, the state Health department said.

Additionally, amid the upsurge in COVID-19 cases in the state the authorities have declared partial lockdown and night curfew in numerous districts.