Parliament coronavirus outbreak: More than 800 staff members test positive for COVID 19

Ahead of Parliament’s Budget Session that is scheduled from January 31, as many as 875 staff members of the House, as well as Rajya Sabha chairperson and vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, have tested positive for COVID-19, the Parliament secretariat said.

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The vice president has self-isolated himself for a week in Hyderabad. “The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, who is in Hyderabad, tested COVID positive today. He has decided to remain in self-isolation for a week. He has advised all those who came in contact with him to isolate themselves and get tested,” Naidu’s secretariat said in a tweet on Sunday. This is the second time Naidu has tested positive for the virus.

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Hindustan Times reported that as many as 2,847 tests were conducted at the Parliament complex and the 875 staff members tested positive for COVID-19.

A call is expected to be made whether Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament will sit simultaneously or in different shifts in view of a spike in the COVID-19 cases.

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The Budget Session will be held from January 31 to April 8 with a nearly month-long recess after the first half. The Union budget will be presented on February 1 and the President will address a joint sitting of both Houses.

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In 2021, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the Union Budget mobile app on the day of the halwa ceremony. The budget had moved to paperless mode for the first time due to pandemic restrictions. The app provides all the information related to the budget in a few taps.