Karnataka records single-day spike of 149 COVID-19 cases; death toll reaches 40

Karnataka on Tuesday saw the biggest single-day COVID-19 spike as it recorded 149 fresh cases, of which 71 are from Mandya alone. The state also recorded three virus deaths — from Bengaluru, Vijayapura and Ballari.

With this, the state's overall tally is 1,395 — including 811 active cases, 543 who have been discharged, 40 deaths and a suicide.

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"As many as 113 of the 149 who tested positive on Tuesday have interstate travel history. Of this, 71 have returned from Mumbai," said Minister S Suresh Kumar, in-charge of COVID-19 briefings.

Karnataka has tested 6,936 samples in the past 24 hours. Of the positive cases, 71 were from Mandya, 22 from Davangere, 13 from Kalaburagi, 10 from Shivamogga, six from Bengaluru, five from Chikkaballapur, four from Udupi, four from Uttara Kannada, and one each from Vijayapura, Bidar, Gadag, Yadgir and Raichur.

Also Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases

The minister said the government has ramped up testing capacity to 46 labs. "The state now has 28 government labs and 18 private labs."

He also tried to allay fears, saying the situation is not as bad as it looks. "There are six people in the ICU. The bed occupancy rate is 6.09%, fatality rate is 2.8%, and 23,187 people are under observation."

About the spurt in cases from interstate travel, the minister said five trains have arrived in Karnataka since May 16. "So far, 1,527 passengers have been screened and only two were found to be symptomatic."

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Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey said even those who are asymptomatic are tested while being sent to institutional quarantine. "Those who have arrived via other modes of transport are also institutionally quarantined and tested on the 12th day, before being released on the 14th day."

Now, Karnataka is in the 12th place with respect to COVID-19 cases. As per the revised strategy for COVID-19 testing in india, all frontline workers involved in containment and mitigation of COVID-19 are supposed to be tested. Asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case are to be tested once between day 5 and day 10 of coming into contact.