Bengaluru: Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Deve Gowda, and his wife Chennamma, Wednesday tested positive for Coronavirus on a day when Karnataka witnessed a huge spike in Covid cases.
Gowda, who is 87, tweeted to say “My wife Chennamma and I have tested positive for COVID-19. We are self-isolating along with other family members. I request all those who came in contact with us over the last few days to get themselves tested. I request party workers and well-wishers not to panic.”
Deve Gowda is presently a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha representing Karnataka.
Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar said he was in touch with the doctors treating the former Prime Minister. In a tweet, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said “I hope both former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and his wife recover from the COVID-19 infection. I hope they recover soon and return to their work as usual.”.
Meanwhile, the state witnessed a huge jump in new Covid cases. From 2975 new cases Tuesday, the number went up to 4225 Wednesday. Bengaluru Urban topped the list with 2928 cases and 18 Covid related deaths.
The state’s active case burden rose 4-fold in just one month. From 0.6% of the total caseload in February-end, active Covid-19 cases in Karnataka stood at 2.4% on March 29, triggering concerns about the health infrastructure coming under strain.
Public health experts say the second wave is following a trajectory similar to the first one and hospital beds need to be increased to ensure timely treatment, fewer deaths and less stress on health facilities.
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