The 212 federal lawmakers, staffers and security persons have all tested negative for COVID-19.
Throat swab of 440 including 179 House of Representatives (HoR) members and 45 National Assembly members was collected test at the parliament building for PCR on Thursday. Swab of 63 more lawmakers including 53 HoR members and 10 National Assembly members was collected on Friday. They all have tested negative.
Press coordinator of Speaker Agni Sapkota, Sridhar Neupane, told Setopati that swab of a total of 275 lawmakers including ministers has been collected Friday afternoon while 54 have yet to get swab extracted.
The lawmakers, staffers and security persons will be allowed into the parliament only after testing negative.
The budget session of the parliament will run keeping two chairs empty between the lawmakers. Use of mask has also been made mandatory for lawmakers during the budget session.
The government will bring its policies and programs on May 15.
The House will have pre-budget discussion on May 10, 11 and 12 before that. The government's policies and programs were presented before pre-budget discussion last year. It will hold pre-budget discussion before presenting the policies and programs this year.
The Constitution requires budget to be presented on Jestha 15 (May end).
