Uttar Pradesh Excise Minister Ram Naresh Agnihotri has tested positive for COVID-19.
Speaking to PTI over phone, Agnihotri said he has been undergoing treatment at Max Hospital in Delhi after his diagnosis.
Agnihotri tested positive for the novel coronavirus on October 6. On the same day, he was admitted to Max Hospital.
A second test was conducted on him on Tuesday and the result came positive as well.
The minister exuded confidence that he would defeat COVID-19 and return to work.
On October 2, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya tested positive for COVID-19.
Earlier, Rural Development Minister Rajendra Pratap Singh alias Moti Singh, Ayush Minister Dharam Singh Saini and Youth Development Minister Upendra Tiwari had tested positive for the virus.
Atul Garg, the Minister of State for Medical and Health, Family Welfare, Mother and Child Welfare, and Chaudhary Udaybhan Singh, the Minister of State for Khadi and Villages Industries, Sericulture Industries, Textile, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise, Export Promotion, too had tested positive for COVID-19.
UP Industries Minister Satish Mahana had recently tested positive for COVID-19. UP Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh, Jal Shakti Minister Mahendra Singh and Law Minister Brajesh Pathak too had tested for COVID-19 earlier.
Two Uttar Pradesh ministers -- Kamal Rani Varun and Chetan Chauhan -- have died due to COVID-19 on August 2 and August 16 respectively.
