India / Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa tests positive for coronavirus

Bengaluru: Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa tweeted late on Sunday evening that he had tested positive for Covid-19. The chief minister said that though he was fine, he was being hospitalised as a precaution on the advice of doctors. He also asked all those who had come in contact with him to go for self-quarantine.

Taking to Twitter Yediyurappa (77) said, “I have tested positive for coronavirus. Whilst I am fine, I am being hospitalised as a precaution on the recommendation of doctors. I request those who have come in contact with me recently to be observant and exercise self quarantine.”

Karnataka has been witnessing a surge in Covid-19 cases over the last few weeks with the sudden spurt in patients led by Bengaluru Urban district, which recorded 2,105 fresh coronavirus cases on Sunday and 21 deaths. Capital city Bengaluru accounts for over 50 per cent of the total number of cases in the state. The city has so far reported 59,501 cases and 1,077 deaths due to coronavirus.

In the last 24 hours, Karnataka has added 5,532 fresh Covid-19 cases while 84 people have succumbed to the viral infection, pushing coronavirus count in the state to 1.34 lakh on Sunday, the state health department data showed.

On Sunday, 4,077 people were discharged after having recovered, taking the total recoveries to 57,725. There are at least 74,590 active cases including 638 critical patients infected with the virus in the ICU, the department said in a statement.

Earlier on Sunday, Union home minister Amit Shah, too, tested Covid-19 positive. He has been admitted to the Medanta Hospital in Haryana’s Gururgram and is believed to be stable.

Shah was present in the last cabinet meeting held on Wednesday. Social distancing was strictly followed along with wearing of masks, officials said. The officials also indicated that there is a strict protocol in place at the Prime Minister’s residence for the last few months.

Last week Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan too had tested positive for the disease. He has been in hospital since then and tweeted today to say that he was fine.

In Uttar Pradesh, Kamal Rani Varun, the only woman cabinet minister in the state, died of Covid-19 at a hospital in Lucknow on Sunday morning. She was 62.