Lav Agarwal tests positive for Covid-19

NEWDELHI: The joint secretary in the Union ministry of health and family welfare, Lav Agarwal, who has been the face of the government’s fight against coronavirus disease (Covid-19), has tested positive for Covid-19.

“Dear All,just to inform that I have tested positive for Covid 19 and initiating home isolation as per guidelines. Requesting all my friends, colleagues for self monitoring. Contact tracing will be done by Health Team. Hoping to see everyone soon,” Agarwal tweeted on Friday evening.

A 1996-batch IAS from Andhra Pradesh cadre, 48-year-old Agarwal has been a permanent feature in the government’s press briefings. He was present during Tuesday’s briefing also.

Sources in the ministry said that all persons who had come into contact with Agarwal recently will be closely monitored and people showing symptoms will be tested. Contact tracing will be initiated by department concerned soon, said officials. With his daily Covid-19 press briefings, Agarwal had managed to connect with the masses, carving out a unique public presence for an Indian administrative service official. Many people would keep the 4pm slot free to listen to his detailed updates on Covid-19. In the initial stages especially, when people had several queries about the disease, Agarwal used to answer all doubts patiently.

The briefings had made him a household name and that could be gauged by the fact that minutes after he tweeted about testing positive for Covid-19, his followers on Twitter and users of the social media platform began wishing him a speedy recovery from the infection.

“Get well soon Sir. Good wishes and prayers. Your afternoon updates have been instrumental in many of us not panicking and getting a better understanding of COVID19 and it’s initial spread,” read a tweet from the handle guyfromvalley.