In Odisha, all the MLAs and employees of the Vidhan Sabha will undergo COVID-19 test two days before the commencement of the next assembly session. This was decided in a meeting held under the chairmanship of Speaker Dr Surya Narayan Patra in Bhubaneswar yesterday. As decided in the meeting, only those MLAs and employees who test negative in the RT-PCR test will be allowed to attend the fourth session of the 16th Odisha Assembly.<br />''<br />''Amid the galloping growth in COVID-19 infection and against the background of about 20 legislators of the state having been infected so far, the lawmakers in Odisha decide against leaving anything to chance next time they assemble in the house.<br />''<br />''The MLAs and employees of the Assembly will not only go through the RT-PCR test two days ahead of the next session but also they would be urged to follow isolation protocols even at home for the entire duration of the session. There will also be provisions for Rapid Antigen Test during the session to isolate the ones showing any symptoms. Legislators above 60 years of age will participate in the deliberations through video conferencing only. These apart, all other pre-emptive protocols like the use of masks and hand sanitizers would also be put in place during the session.<br />''<br />''Meanwhile, the number of infected people who have recovered so far in the state is about to breach the one lakh mark as against a total of about one lakh twenty eight thousand infections till date. <br />