Bhubaneswar, July 6 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Sukanta Kumar Nayak in Odisha has tested coronavirus positive, said an official on Monday.

The MLA from Nilgiri segment in Balasore district is the first legislator in Odisha to get infected by the virus.

Brajamohan Patra, Balasore Chief District Medical Officer, said that the MLA has been shifted to a COVID hospital and contact tracing initiated.

The swab samples of the MLA were sent to a laboratory two days ago and the result came out positive on Monday, he said.

The MLA said that he had attended a number of meetings in Bhubaneswar and his home constituency, including a meeting of women self-help groups.

Odisha reported 456 new COVID-19 positive cases and two deaths, the Health Department said on Monday. The deceased belong to Ganjam and Jajpur districts.

The total positive cases in the state has reached 9,526.

--IANS cd/tsb