Odisha school and mass education minister Samir Ranjan Dash has become the latest minister of Naveen Patnaik government to test positive for coronavirus.

With him the number of Covid-19 positive ministers in the state has gone up to seven.

Others ministers to have tested positive for the virus include food supplies and consumer welfare minister Ranendra Pratap Swain, women and child development and Mission Shakti minister Tukuni Sahu, tourism minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, handlooms, textiles & handicrafts minister Padmini Dian, higher education and agriculture & farmers’ empowerment minister Arun Kumar Sahoo and rural development and labour minister Susanta Singh.

State BJP president Samir Mohanty, who has been diagnosed with the coronavirus, was on Monday admitted to the AIIMS for treatment.