IMPHAL, Aug 25 - Manipur Social Welfare Minister Nemcha Kipgen, the lone woman minister in the State, has tested positive for COVID 19.
In a tweet, Kipgen said, �After getting symptoms of Coronavirus, I got myself tested and the report came back positive. I sincerely request all of you who have come in contact with me in the past few days to kindly isolate yourselves and get yourselves tested at the earliest�. She also holds the Cooperation portfolio.
Kipgen, who is also the minister in-charge of Kangpokpi and Senapati districts, had chaired a review meeting to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in the presence of district-level officials at Senapati on August 20.
Sources said the minister has self-isolated herself and is waiting for the results of the second test.
On August 10, Congress MLA Md Fazur Rahim, who represents the Wabagai constituency in Kakching district, had tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from New Delhi, becoming the first legislator to contract the virus.
Meanwhile, two women aged 73 years and 41 years died at the RIMS due to COVID-19 and other comorbid health conditions in the last 24 hours, according to a press release issued by the COVID 19 common control room today. The cumulative number of deaths in Manipur is now 24.
The State reported 82 new COVID-19 positive cases, including 74 persons from the general population and eight Central Armed Police Force personnel, taking the virus tally to 5,444. With 99 newly recovered cases, the recovery rate in Manipur reached 70.02 per cent on Tuesday.
The cumulative number of recovered cases is 3,812, while the number of active cases is 1, 608, the press release added.
