Bhubaneswar, Sep 7 (PTI) Odisha minister of tourism and culture, JP Panigrahi, on Monday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and was undergoing home isolation.

Panigrahi is the fourth minister in the state to have contracted the disease. Earlier, higher education minister Arun Kumar Sahoo, rural development minister Susant Singh and textile minister Padmini Dian were diagnosed with the disease.

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The minister requested people who have come in contact with him recently to isolate themselves.

"Mid March'20 onwards doing public and official works. Not missed a day. Tried hard during this pandemic, people don't feel alone and worked as desired by Hon'ble CM. Finally, COVID-19 caught hold of me. Who're in my contacts in last 7 days, please isolate," the Simulia MLA said on Twitter.

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Twenty-one legislators in the state have so far contracted the disease.

In July, BJP MLA from Nilgiri, Sukanta Kumar Nayak, became the first legislator in the coastal state to test positive for the infection.

Three Lok Sabha MPs -- BJP's Suresh Pujari from Bargarh and BJD's Manjulata Mandal from Bhadrak and Ramesh Chandra Majhi from Nabarangpur -- were diagnosed with the disease.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)