Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa tests COVID positive, second time in 8 months

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time in eight months, and has been shifted to a private hospital for treatment.

The 78-year-old Yeddiyurappa was earlier hospitalised on August 2, 2020, after he tested positive for coronavirus.

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“Upon having mild fever, today I got tested for Covid-19 and my report has come out positive. Although I am doing fine, I am being hospitalised based on the advise of doctors,” he tweeted.

He requested all those who had come in contact with him recently to be observant and exercise self-quarantine.

“As the Chief Minister was suffering from fever, he had gone to Ramaiah hospital for general checkup, where COVID test was conducted and as the report has come positive, he will be shifted to the Manipal Hospital,” the CMO had earlier said in a statement.

Yediyurappa was last year admitted to the same Manipal Hospital for nine days, and was discharged on recovery.

He had got himself inoculated with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on March 12, and was administered Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.

The Chief Minister had cut short his campaign programme for bypolls in Belagavi on Thursday, due to fever and exhaustion, official sources said.

He had been campaigning for the April 17 bypolls to Belgaum Lok Sabha, and Maski and Basavakalyan assembly segments for the last few days, and is said to have developed fever while campaigning in Belagavi (Belgaum LS) couple of days ago, but had subsequently tested negative, they said.

Earlier today, Yediyurappa had chaired an emergency meeting with Health Minister K Sudhakar and top officials including Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar for about one-and-half hours regarding COVID situation in the state and had addressed the media.

Several state leaders including JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and several of Yediyurappa’s cabinet colleagues wished the CM speedy recovery.