Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, who was hospitalised after being infected by the coronavirus for a second time, got discharged from the hospital on Thursday, 22 April. He is being discharged six days after he tested positive for the disease.
It was on 16 April that the chief minister was again found to be infected with COVID-19 and was under treatment at the Manipal Hospital. Prior to this, Yediyurappa was infected last year in August. This March, the CM had taken the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Talking to the media after being discharged from hospital, Yediyurappa said that the COVID-19 situation in Karnataka was serious. “We have reached a situation where we are unable to control COVID-19. We are already taking strict measures...I request people of the state to not venture out unless required. People should not allow police to make people pay fines for violations, and they should cooperate voluntarily,” he said.
The CM also added that he had called a Cabinet meeting on Thursday evening to evaluate COVID-19 management. “I am healthy now. I have called for a Cabinet meeting at 4 pm today. I will be directing all ministers to also go to their districts and look into the issues there. I have been in touch with the Chief Secretary as well as the Law Minister,” Yediyurappa added.
On Wednesday, before being discharged from the hospital, the Chief Minister held a video conference with the heads of major hospitals in the state, medical officers and government officials, evaluating the COVID-19 situation in the state. Karnataka reported 23,558 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, taking the total number of active patients to 1.7 lakh.
The Karnataka government had also recently written to the Union government asking to urgently supply 1,500 tonnes of medical oxygen on a daily basis, considering the surge in COVID-19 cases in the state. The state’s hospitals have been witnessing shortage in medical oxygen due to the surge in cases.
(Published in an arrangement with The News Minute.)
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