In the monsoon session of Parliament, 83 of the 1,500-odd employees of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat have tested positive for COVID 19 till Wednesday.
According to an official statement, a testing camp was set up in the Parliament premises on September 7, a week ahead of the beginning of the session on September 14. Officials said that, before September 7, only about 25 employees were reported to have been infected. The number of positive cases has sharply increased during the eight-day period of the session.
Testing was made compulsory for anyone entering the Parliament building during the session, including the media personnel.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu, at a meeting with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and officials, has asked the Secretariat to ensure that each of the 83 officials are provided with all necessary medical care.
