Union Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal today tested positive for COVID-19. For about three months, he was the face of COVID-19 management in the country as he addressed the daily press briefings. Agarwal, who does not use social media platforms frequently, took to Twitter on Friday night to announce his positive status.
“Dear All, Just to inform that I have tested positive for Covid 19 and initiating home isolation as per guidelines. Requesting all my friends, colleagues for self monitoring. Contact tracing will be done by Health Team. Hoping to see everyone soon,” he tweeted.
During the lockdown, and briefly during the unlock period, too, the 1996-batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre would brief the media about various issues concerning COVID-19 management, including testing rates and hospital infrastructure.
Agarwal was also part of the government team that was dispatched to Mumbai and Bihar to review the management of the pandemic. Within the health ministry, he is in charge of international health, integrated surveillance programme, telemedicine and the National Centre for Diseases Control, among others.
Agarwal, who hails from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, is an alumnus of IIT Delhi (1993), where he studied mechanical engineering.
Since July 9, however, the press briefings on COVID-19 managemnt are being led by Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, who recently took over from Preeti Sudan.
