CM works from home through Twitter, his guards submit samples

Ranchi: Chief minister Hemant Soren remained confined to his home on Thursday following his announcement to stay isolated after cabinet minister Mithilesh Thakur tested positive for Covid-19 and marshalled district officials through Twitter. Meanwhile, seven of his security personnel underwent sampling for Covid-19 at Ranchi sadar hospital.
There was no official word on Soren’s health condition from his secretariat and from the district health machinery.However, sources close to the CM said his swab samples are likely to be collected on July 11.
Ranchi civil surgeon Dr V B Prasad said the health team stationed at the CM’s Kanke Road residence is continuously monitoring Hemant’s health. “Seven personnel, deployed for CM’s security, sampled themselves for Covid-19 testing at sadar hospital on Thursday afternoon,” Prasad told TOI.
Hemant had come in direct contact with state water resources minister Mithilesh Thakur on July 6, a day before the latter tested positive. Thakur, admitted to the Covid-19 ward of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims), is stable, the hospital said.
In a video message on Twitter late on Wednesday night, Hemant said Jharkhand’s Covid-19 scenario is being faced with proper synchronization and planning. “This crisis will soon be over,” he added.
On Thursday, he extended his best wishes to health minister Banna Gupta, who underwent a hernia surgery at Rims and paid tribute to slain Tamar legislator Ramesh Singh Munda on his death anniversary.
While Hemant’s senior bureaucrats and CMO staff remained under home quarantine, members of a Congress delegation, which met the CM at his office in the Project Building on the evening of July 7, went about their business as usual and held meetings at the party’s state headquarters in Shraddhanand Road.
Rameshwar Oraon, state Congress president and state food and civil supplies minister, went into confinement at his home from Thursday evening onwards. Speaking to TOI, Oraon described it as a precautionary measure. “I will not venture out from tomorrow (Saturday) onwards and dispense my ministerial duties from home,” he said.
While JMM shut its office indefinitely, Congress kept its office running. “We are into public service, hence the office cannot be closed completely. But party workers have been asked to not visit the office premise unless it is extremely urgent,” Oraon said.
Meanwhile, Dhanbad MP P N Singh on Thursday gave his swab sample for testing and quarantined himself after he reportedly came in contact with a journalist who tested positive for Covid-19 a day after he interviewed the MP. Dhanbad MLA Raj Sinha also restricted entry to his office and home and asked his supporters to meet him only if it is urgent.
Besides this, 15 family members along with a guard and a driver of the Tundi legislator who tested positive were sent to institutional quarantine centres till test reports arrive. (With inputs from Anil Ashutosh from Sindri)