World Bank President nominee Ajay Banga tests Covid positive during India visit

New Delhi (India), 24th March 2023: Ajay Banga, the US candidate for president of the World Bank, tested positive for COVID-19, which forced the cancellation of the meetings he had planned during his two-day journey to India.

Banga’s encounter with Nirmala Sitharaman would not take place while he is in quarantine, the Finance Ministry stated.

The statement said, “During routine testing, Ajay Banga tested positive for COVID-19 but remains asymptomatic. In adherence with local guidelines, he is quarantining in isolation.”

During his two-day visit from March 23 to 24, Banga was set to meet with the Union finance minister as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar, and other senior officials.

In order to gain support for his bid for the top post at the World Bank, Banga made a three-week world tour that started in Africa and continued to Europe, Latin America, and Asia before ending in New Delhi.

However due to this unexpected infection he will not be able to attend the meetings. According to information provided by the health administration, New Delhi recorded 84 coronavirus cases on Wednesday, with a positivity rate of 5.08 percent.

Fresh Covid infections have increased in the city over the past few days, coincident with a steep rise in H3N2 influenza cases nationwide.