Stay home and celebrate yoga day on Jun 21: Karnataka Health Minister

Bengaluru: Appealing to people to stay home and do yoga on the International Yoga Day on June 21, Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Saturday said a Vaccination ”Mela(fair)” will also be organized on that day with a target to inoculate seven lakh people.

“Due to COVID this time, no one should celebrate Yoga Day outdoors or gather in big numbers. Hence, the slogan for Yoga Day this year is – ”Be with Yoga, Be at Home” and ”Yoga for Wellness”,” Sudhakar told a press conference.

All Karnataka ministers will celebrate Yoga Day at Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa’s residence by participating in Prime Minister Narendra Modi”s live Yoga Day event.

He said his department will release videos carrying messages of some prominent Yoga gurus and spiritual masters like SVYASA Yoga university president Nagendra Guruji, Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev of Isha Foundation, Sri Sri Ravishankar of Art of LIving, and Shwaasa Guru Sri Vachananda Swami.

On June 21, during Yoga Day, the state will also organize ”Vaccination Mela” where vaccines will be given to people between 18-44 years, above 45 years, frontline workers, and various vulnerable groups.

“We have also decided to give vaccines to all those who want their first dose of vaccine. We have a stock of 14 lakh Covishield vaccines. We have set a target of giving seven lakh vaccines on June 21,” the minister said.

Stating that so far 1.80 crore inoculations have been done in the state, Sudhakar said for every 15 doses given in the country, one dose is from Karnataka.

The Minister said intensive testing and contact tracing will continue till the year-end as various deadly strains of COVID have emerged across the globe.