Karnataka clocks 4,991 fresh Covid-19 cases, 6 deaths

Karnataka reported 4,991 fresh infections on Friday as the active cases swelled to 34,219. Six new fatalities took the toll to 12,591 in the state.

The positivity rate for the day shot up to 4.19% from 3.65% on Thursday.

Bengaluru Urban alone accounted for 3,509 cases and five deaths. The state capital now has 24,600 active carriers of the virus which is 72% of the active caseload in the state. The other fatality was reported from Kalaburagi.

As many as 269 patients are in ICUs across the state. Mysuru district reported next highest infections in the day with 174 cases followed by Tumakuru 142, Bidar 126 and Dakshina Kannada and Kalaburagi 105 each.

The Covid-19 tally in the state has surged to 10,06,229. The day also saw 1,631 patients getting discharged after recovery taking the total number of recoveries to 9,59,400.

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A total of 2,16,45,891 samples have been tested for Covid-19, so far. Of which, 1,18,933 were done on Friday alone.

Following a surge in Covid-19 cases, the state government on Friday issued a slew of restrictions recommended by the State Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)

Epidemiologist Dr Giridhar Babu, member of TAC, in the backdrop of the spike in cases and the restrictions imposed by the government on Friday told reporters here, "After much deliberations, we had made these recommendations to the government. After examining the same, the state government has come up with new curbs. The very objective is to contain super-spreader events in closed spaces."

"There is an evidence that infection is spreading fast in such events. By imposing restrictions for two weeks, the government wants to mitigate the situation. People should help the government in containing the virus," he added.

Shot in the arm

Even as the state is grappling with a rapid surge in cases, more than one lakh people were vaccinated on Friday. Out of 1,26,270 vaccinated, 68,100 were between 45 and 60 years of age. The next highest vaccinated numbers were among the elderly. As many as 51,373 above the age of 60 were vaccinated. As many as 40,73,206 people in the state, so far, have been vaccinated.