Amarinder Singh had ordered several precautions to be taken before assembly session (File)
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has gone into 7-day home quarantine after he met in the state assembly two MLAs who later tested positive for coronavirus, a senior state official said.
"Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has decided to go into 7-day self-quarantine, as per government protocol and the advice of his doctors, after two MLAs who met him in the Vidhan Sabha tested positive for COVID-19," his media officer Raveen Thukral tweeted.
29 Punjab MLAs and ministers had tested positive for the deadly illness this week. Mr Singh, 78, had urged the legislators who had been in contact with the infected MLAs to not attend the one-day assembly session today.
Mr Singh had also ordered several precautions to be taken for the smooth conduct of the legislative business in the house. He had asked the authorities to install machines at the house premises, Punjab Bhawan and MLAs' hostel for quick Covid testing.
Only those who test negative within 48 hours of the assembly session were allowed to attend the session.
Earlier, Mr Singh had attacked the Aam Aadmi Party for organising protests amid rising cases of coronavirus.
The coronavirus cases in Punjab - which had been praised for keeping its count low - are now rising rapidly. The state has reported over 47,800 cases including 1,256 deaths.
Earlier this month, Punjab had ordered a daily night curfew - from 7 PM to 5 AM - and a weekend lockdown in all 167 cities and towns in the state to arrest the growth of coronavirus in the state.