Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Lav Agarwal, who was the government’s spokesperson during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in the beginning, tested positive for the virus.
In a tweet Friday evening, Agarwal said, “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 the Health Team. Hoping to see everyone soon.”
He also appealed to all his colleagues to self-monitor themselves, adding that contact tracing will be done by the health team.
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.
— lavagarwal (@lavagarwal) August 14, 2020
Agarwal, 48, a 1996-batch IAS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre, led daily 4 pm briefings on the coronavirus pandemic at the government’s national media centre. He also addressed this week’s Covid briefing at the National Media Centre on Tuesday alongside Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.
This comes as the first case of coronavirus on the first floor of the health ministry in Nirman Bhawan, where senior officers, including the secretary, sit.