Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tests positive for COVID-19

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Siddaramaiah has tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The leader, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, has been admitted to the Manipal hospital on the advice of doctors as a precaution.

Siddaramaiah confirmed the news himself on Twitter and advised all who came in contact with him to get themselves tested for symptoms and self-quarantine.

"I have been tested positive for #Covid19 & also been admitted to the hospital on the advice of doctors as a precaution. I request all those who had come in contact with me to check out for symptoms & to quarantine themselves," Siddaramaiah posted from his official handle on Twitter.

I have been tested positive for #Covid19 & also been admitted to the hospital on the advice of doctors as a precaution.

I request all those who had come in contact with me to check out for symptoms & to quarantine themselves.

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) August 4, 2020

A statement by the Manipal Hospital confirmed that the former Chief Minister has been admitted for evaluation of fever and that the antigen test for COVID-19 has returned positive.

Notably, Karnataka has seen a marked spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in the past few weeks. The state has recorded 4,752 new coronavirus-positive cases in the past 24 hours, with the tally mounting to 1.39 lakh. There are 74,469 active COVID-19 cases in Karnataka, while the death toll has mounted to 2,594, with 98 people falling a fatal victim to the virus in the last 24 hours.