False alarm, says Jaishankar on diplomats ‘testing +ve’ in London

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 8

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar returned to the country from London, where he had isolated following reports that two diplomats from his accompanying team had tested positive for Covid.

Jaishankar suggested in a social media post that the reports of positive tests were a false alarm and said all team members were back in the country.

Team back home

• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had reached London on Monday to be part of the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers meet
• It was reported that two members of his delegation had tested positive for Covid in the UK
• Jaishankar suggested in a social media post that the reports of positive tests were a false alarm and said all team members were back in the country

After the UK media broke the story, Jaishankar had acknowledged that he was made aware of the exposure to possible Covid positive cases. “As a measure of caution and also out of consideration for others, I decided to conduct my engagements virtually. That will be the case with the G7 meeting today as well,” he had posted hours after an in-person meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Home Secretary Priti Patel.

“There is concern the EAM might have been exposed to the virus. We will go by the British health authorities’ tracking and testing system. We are concerned about our delegation. We are happy no one is unwell. We would not like to confirm the story,” sources had then said.

“It is not a straight-forward case. We are trying to work out with UK health authorities about the level of exposure. The travel plans of the delegation back to India will depend on exactly what the UK health authorities will say. The External Affairs Minister is well,” they had added.

Jaishankar had arrived in London on Monday for a four-day visit on the invitation of UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to join the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ meeting as one of the guest ministers.