Mumbai: Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde has tested positive for COVID-19, as confirmed by state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday. Pawar reassured the public, stating there is no need to panic, and necessary measures have been taken by the administration to contain the spread. Munde's office also verified his positive test, although the specific variant details were not disclosed.
The minister received the positive result on December 20, the last day of the state legislature's winter session in Nagpur. Following the diagnosis, Munde went into isolation, adhered to prescribed medication, and showed no symptoms. He has resumed work, conducting video conferences and overseeing various tasks.
While some of Munde's office staff experienced mild symptoms, they followed protocols to prevent further transmission. As of now, none of them exhibit symptoms of the infection.
According to the latest data from the Union health ministry on Sunday, India reported 656 new COVID-19 infections in a single day, with active cases rising to 3,742. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has designated the new JN.1 strain as a "variant of interest," acknowledging its rapid spread but assessing a "low" global public health risk.
On Sunday, Maharashtra recorded 50 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total infections in the state since the beginning of the pandemic to 81,72,135 over nearly three years. Among the fresh cases, nine were linked to the JN.1 sub-variant, bringing the total infections associated with this new strain in the state to 10.
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