NEW DELHI – Health minister of Indian’s Haryana state has tested positivefor COVID-19, days after he volunteered himself to received locallydeveloped vaccine against the virus in the human phase trials.

Health Minister Anil Vij announced about his infection on Twitter. Hewrote, “I am admitted in Civil Hospital Ambala Cantt. All those who havecome in close contact to me are advised to get themselves tested forcorona.”

India media reports says Vij took vaccine shot of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxinless than two weeks ago.

“The 67-year-old BJP veteran is diabetic, and had recently undergone asurgery for a thigh bone fracture,” said The Indian Express. “He hadvolunteered to participate in the vaccine’s human phase trials, in whichover 25,000 persons were administered trial doses.”

The India-made vaccine entered its last-stage trials in November with aclaim from a senior scientist at the government-run Indian Council ofMedical Research (ICMR) that locally developed vaccine has shownencouraging results.

According to health ministry’s Friday data, India reported 36,595 newinfection in 24 hours, raising total number of cases to 9.57 million.

Deaths in India increased by 540, the ministry said, with the totalcausalities stood at 139,188.