Ssshhhh! Don’t cough, Chief Minister sahebru is here!
The officials have done their duty of alerting the CM and his ministers about the dangers they face.
Published: 14th March 2020 06:05 AM | Last Updated: 14th March 2020 06:05 AM | A+A A-
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa speaks about precautionary measures for coronavirus during a meet with Health Minister B Sriramulu, Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar, and Deputy CMs C N Ashwath Narayan and Govind Karjol, in Bengaluru | Nagaraja Gadekal
BENGALURU: As the coronavirus scare is taking monstrous proportions, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa may on Friday passed orders to shut down schools, colleges, malls and cinemas across the state to contain the deadly coronavirus. But the CM himself and his council of ministers fall in the very high-risk category as they interact with hundreds, if not thousands, of people every day.
Officials from the ‘live’ security cordon that the CM and ministers have been extremely concerned about the grave danger that the virus poses to these public figures, as they have to invariably meet their followers and well-wishers wherever they go.
A very senior bureaucrat, who wished not to be identified, said that he is concerned as the CM and ministers attend at least two to three public functions, half-a-dozen marriages and other social events every day. Even if unwilling, they have to shake hands, embrace and touch masses of people every day.
The officials have done their duty of alerting the CM and his ministers about the dangers they face. Even their family members have been briefed. But it is near impossible for them to avoid public contact. Take for example the CM’s residence at Dollars’ Colony, where at least 50-100 people are fed and another 300-400 visitors are given hot beverages every day. The flow of humanity is unending and the kitchen at the CM’s house runs 24x7 in three shifts.
Similar is the case at houses and offices of ministers too, probably on a smaller scale. To avert infection, bottles of hand sanitisers have been kept at all these places with strict instructions for visitors to use them before and after meeting VIPs.
A source from CM’s household confirmed that Yediyurappa has been informed about restrictions he should take to minimise the risk of exposure to infections. Despite these precautions, the sources added, there are hundreds of visitors coming in, who could be suffering from fever, cold and other diseases, and it is hard to check each one of them. But, the personal staff of ministers admitted, the biggest problem is getting their bosses to comply with the hygiene and precautionary measures.
