Punjab minister found positive by state department, tests negative later

A day after his COVID-19 test by the state health department came back positive, Punjab Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa tested negative for the disease at PGIMER here on Sunday, leaving him "surprised".

A test at a private lab also found the minister negative for the contagion.

It is mandatory for all MLAs and concerned Punjab Assembly officials to get themselves tested for COVID-19 ahead of the Budget Session starting from Monday.

Randhawa's samples were collected by the state health department from the MLA Hostel here on February 25.

Before the test report came, the minister again got himself tested at a private lab here on February 27.

While the state health department test came back positive, the private lab found him negative for coronavirus on Saturday, Randhawa said.

Later in the evening, he went to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) for a third test, which also came back negative.

Randhawa said he was "surprised" by the report of the test conducted by the health authorities as his other two tests came back negative.

He said he has shared his reports with the state health minister and other senior officials.

"Nobody has come to me for a retest till this morning. Even the civil surgeon has not called me yet," he rued.

Randhawa further said that despite the first test coming back positive, the health authorities have so far not approached him regarding following COVID-19 related protocols.

Asked if he will attend the assembly session, he said he would if he is allowed to.

In August last year, Randhawa was among the first state ministers to contract the coronavirus.