Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa was on Thursday discharged from a Bengaluru hospital where he was undergoing treatment for the coronavirus, reported NDTV.

Yediyurappa had tested positive for the coronavirus on April 16 for the second time. The 78-year-old chief minister had earlier contracted the infection in August.

Talking to reporters outside the hospital, Yediyurappa appealed to the residents not to leave their homes unnecessarily. “Coronavirus is spreading very fast,” he said. “In one household, three-four people are contracting the virus. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, the only solution is [using] masks, sanitisers, and maintaining social distancing.”

He urged the public not to give the police a chance to impose a fine for not wearing masks. “I request all your cooperation for the sake of everyone in [the] society,” the chief minister said.

Yediyurappa told reporters that he will hold a Cabinet meeting to review the coronavirus situation in the state. “We will discuss measure to control the disease in the districts,” he said. “I have been in constant touch with [the] ministers.”

Despite his hospitalisation, the chief minister had continued to hold meetings virtually, according to NDTV. On Monday, he had chaired an all-party meeting to discuss the coronavirus situation in the state.

Yediyurappa had held another meeting with state Governor Vajubhai Vala on Tuesday. After the meeting, the Karnataka government imposed a weekend curfew, a night curfew and other restrictions across the state to contain the surge in coronavirus cases.

On Wednesday, Karnataka registered 23,558 coronavirus cases, its highest single-day infection count so far, reported India Today. With this, the total number of cases in the state climbed to over 12.22 lakh. The toll rose by 116 to 13,762.

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