Pema Khandu
Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu. (File photo)

Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu has tested positive for COVID19.

Khandu, who took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to make public the information, however, said he is asymptomatic and is isolating himself as per the standard operating procedure (SOP).

He also asked those, who came in contact with him, to take necessary precautions.

“I had undergone Covid test RT-PCR and have tested positive for Covid19. I am asymptomatic and feeling healthy. However as per SOP and safety of others, I am self isolating myself and request everyone who came in contact with me to adhere to the SOP,” the chief minister tweeted.

The 41-year-old chief minister, who is presently in New Delhi, met Union defence minister Rajnath Singh on Monday.

He was accompanied by deputy chief minister Chowna Mein, Arunachal East MP Tapir Gao and chief secretary Naresh Kumar.

During the meeting, they had discussed several important matters related to the state.

The news of Khandu testing positive for COVID19 comes a day after health minister Alo Libang tested positive for the virus.

Besides Khandu and Libang, education minister and Yachuli MLA Taba Tedir, state BJP president and Pakke Kessang MLA Biyuram Waghe, Namsai MLA Zingnu Namchoom, Lekang MLA Jummon Ete Deori and Kalaktang MLA Dorjee Wangdi Kharma have also tested positive for COVID19 so far.

The number of active cases in Arunachal Pradesh rose to 1,756 after 176 more people tested positive for COVID19 on Monday.

A 50-year-old employee of the state health department also succumbed to the infection on the day, taking the state’s overall death toll to 11.

In all, 4,531 people have recovered from the virus in the state so far with a recovery rate of 71.95%.

Damien Lepcha is Northeast Now Correspondent in Arunachal Pradesh. He can be reached at: [email protected]