Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday evening, has been advised to stay in the hospital for the next four-five days, though he is asymptomatic at present.
The 77-year-old leader has been admitted to the Manipal Hospital on Old Airport Road, along with one of his daughters, who too has tested positive.
"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," Yediyurappa had tweeted on Sunday night.
Yediyurappa’s son and Shimoga MP, B.Y. Raghavendra, said his father was stable and had no COVID-19 symptoms. "My father's swab was collected on Sunday morning as some of his staff members had tested positive in the last few weeks. On Sunday night, we got the results. As he is diabetic, the doctors advised him to stay in the hospital for a week. We are surprised to find that my father has tested positive despite following all the social distancing norms," said Raghavendra, who is in Shimoga.
Yediyurappa has been holding series of meetings amid the COVID-19 crisis. While most meeting were held through videoconferencing, many crucial review meetings with the cabinet ministers have been offline, which has triggered panic among the ministers.
In June, Yediyurappa had to shift all official meetings to Vidhana Soudha after a staff member at the CM's home-office ‘Krishna’ became a primary contact of a COVID-19 patient. Again in mid-July, Yediyurappa was under home quarantine at his private residence after three staff members at Krishna had tested positive. Last week, Yediyurappa attended both offline and online events at Krishna and Vidhana Soudha. He laid the foundation stone for Life Sciences Park in Electronics City, and addressed an event to mark one year of the BJP government in the state and had also met Governor Vajubhai Vala at Raj Bhavan.
Yediyurappa's other son and state BJP vice-president, B.Y. Vijayendra, has expressed his gratitude to the state leaders and the well-wishers for sending in their "get well soon" messages to Yediyurappa.
"Thank you all for your messages and prayers. My father Shri B.S.Yediyurappa ji is doing fine and under observation of doctors who said there is no need to worry. As a precaution, I will observe home quarantine for next 7 days," he tweeted.
