Swab samples of J'khand CM, his family members, CMO officials collected for COVID-19 test

A team of health workers on Tuesday collected swab samples of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his family members for COVID-19 tests, the second time in a month, after several employees at his office were found to have contracted the disease, an official said.

Other staff members at the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) have also given their samples for examination, he said.

Abhishek Prasad, the chief minister's press adviser, said 17 officials at the CMO were diagnosed with the disease on August 2.

Soren, who is also the JMM executive president, his wife and other family members had undergone the test for the first time on July 11, the results of which came negative.

The CM had quarantined himself at his Ranchi residence last month after contact tracing of a cabinet minister and an MLA led to Soren.