Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, on Monday, was discharged from Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru where he was admitted on August 2 after testing positive for the novel Coronavirus disease. Although he was asymptomatic, he was admitted to the hospital as a precautionary measure considering his advanced age. He will undergo home quarantine till the end of this week, sources in his office told TNM.
The hospital and the CM’s office had maintained that the CM’s health condition remained stable over these days as he responded well to the treatment. He was closely under the observation of an interdisciplinary team of doctors.
The CM had kept a close tab on the state’s response on the floods as well as the pandemic remotely from the hospital and instructed officials through regular virtual meetings. In order to avoid any delay, he had given Chief Secretary Vijaya Bhaskar a free hand to take emergency mitigation measures for flood relief without consulting him.
A day after getting admitted, he had tweeted a video of himself assuring that he was in stable condition and expressed his confidence to recover swiftly. He also claimed that the state’s response to the pandemic was in no way hampered due to his hospitalization. In his video message, he had also urged the people of the state to follow COVID-19 regulations of wearing masks and maintaining physical distance.
Several photographs and videos of the Chief Minister working from the hospital, scrutinising and signing on official documents, were released. According to reports, Yediyurappa regularly held meetings with officials and ministers over the phone as well.
Along with the CM, his daughter too had caught the infection and was admitted in the same facility.
Prior to testing positive, the CM was forced to go in home quarantine earlier in mid-July when five members of his team posted at his home office Krishna has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Incidentally former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is also currently admitted in the same hospital after he contracted the infection. He too remains in a stable condition according to the hospital and his staff.