Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai tests COVID positive; has "mild symptoms" [details]

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has tested positive for COVID-19 and has mild symptoms. The news was confirmed by the Chief Minister in a tweet, urging individuals who came in contact with the minister to get tested.

"I have tested positive for COVID -19 today with mild symptoms. My health is fine, I am under home quarantine. I request everyone who have recently come in my contact to isolate themselves and get tested," CM Bommai tweeted.

CM Bommai had tested positive for COVID-19 back in September 2020, at a time when COVID cases were in peak. He was asymptomatic at the time and quarantined at home during recovery. 

Amid the unprecedented Covid-19 resurgence, India reported 1,79,723 new cases in the last 24 hours, which is 12.5 per cent higher than the previous day's figure, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Monday. The active caseload has jumped to 7,23,619, accounting for 1.66 per cent of the country's total positive cases.

80% immunisation coverage in January

The news comes shortly after CM Bommai launched the administration of booster dose of Covid vaccines for health workers and senior citizens with comorbidities on Monday. He said that his state has achieved 100 per cent vacccination of the first dose and 77 per cent of the second dose vaccination. "We want to reach 80 per cent by end of January and action would be taken to intensify the second dose jabbing. We will achieve the target of bringing Karnataka into the Covid protection ring," he said.

Pitching for total vaccination as the only protection from COVID, Bommai said that the second and third waves had intensified due to the laxity in vaccination by some countries.